In 1988, Srinivasan et al., using the voltage-clamp technique [ 27], confirmed that the cytoskeleton was capable of modulating sodium channels in neurocytes.
Among all PTP forms, PTPH1 has been shown in vitro to modulate cardiac sodium channel Nav1.5 [ 19], that it is also known to be expressed in the axons of cerebral cortex, cerebellum, thalamus and brain stem [ 36].
Here, we show for the first time that ankyrin R, in association with β-III spectrin, has a critical role in modulating neuronal sodium channel activity and hence neuron excitability.
47 Interestingly, Tricaine, another drug that modulates voltage-gated sodium channels, showed a similar inhibition of the HSR.
9 11 In fact, state-dependent VGSC blockers such as lamotrigine (1) and phenytoin (2) (Fig. 1), that can modulate the gating of sodium channels, are used as antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).
Both compounds have been reported to modulate voltage-gated sodium channel activity.
Pyrethroid insecticides are acute neurotoxicants [ 4], modulate the function of voltage-gated sodium channels [ 5]; specifically, they alter the permeability of excited nerve cells to sodium ions and cause repetitive nerve impulses [ 4, 6].
Like DDT, pyrethroid insecticides modulate the function of voltage-gated sodium channels (Vijverberg et al. 1982); however, pyrethroid insecticides, unlike DDT, have short biological half-lives, in the order of hours, whereas DDT has a half-life of many years.
Our previous work demonstrated that BmK I was able to modulate multiple subtypes of VGSCs, which delayed TTX-S sodium channels inactivation and aberrant INa at suprathreshold potentials in small-sized DRG and hippocampus neurons (Bai et al., 2006a; Chen et al., 2005).
Pain is modulated by a subset of the voltage-gated sodium channels, including Nav1.3, Nav1.7, Nav1.8 and Nav1.9.
