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Sulfonylureas blockade of neural and cardiac HERG channels
Author(s) -
Rosati Barbara,
Rocchetti Marcella,
Zaza Antonio,
Wanke Enzo
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(98)01444-6
Subject(s) - herg , glibenclamide , cardiac action potential , repolarization , blockade , sulfonylurea , pharmacology , sulfonylurea receptor , potassium channel , electrophysiology , glimepiride , potassium channel blocker , chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , receptor , metformin , insulin , diabetes mellitus
The human ether‐a‐go‐go ‐related gene ( herg ) encodes a K + current ( I HERG ) which plays a fundamental role in heart excitability and in neurons by contributing to action potential repolarization and to spike‐frequency adaptation, respectively. In this paper we show that I HERG , recorded in neuroblastoma cells and guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes, was reversibly inhibited by the K ATP channel blocker glibenclamide (IC 50 =74 μM). The voltage and use dependence of glibenclamide blockade were also evaluated. Another sulfonylurea, glimepiride, had less effective results in blocking I HERG . The findings of this study are relevant to the interpretation of glibenclamide effects on cellular electrophysiology and suggest that oral antidiabetic therapy with sulfonylureas may contribute to iatrogenic QT prolongation and related arrhythmias.