The time course of fast inactivation is reported to be single-exponential as well as double-exponential which is either implemented

as two open states (9) or by a two-step inactivation process (10). After reaching the fast inactivated state, Na+ channels do not go immediately back to the closed states, repolarization of the membrane is necessary to initiate recovery. To account for recovery from fast inactivation, which is not occurring by re-entering the open state (11), models were expanded with transitions between inactivated and closed states (12). Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical As inactivation occurs from open as well as from closed states, and recovery from fast inactivation develops with a delay (13), multiple inactivation states are assumed. Since low temperature is the further information trigger for paramyotonia, temperature effects have been studied and shown to affect both the kinetic and steady-state parameters of Nav1.4 WT and R1448H channels. This is not surprising, given Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical that each of the voltage-dependent gating steps is likely to involve different

conformational changes in the channel and so require the breaking and/ or forming of chemical bonds with Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical different energies. However, data obtained at room temperature cannot be extrapolated to physiological temperatures using a single temperature scaling factor. Therefore measurements in a wide temperature range and a suitable gating model which is valid in a large selleck chem potential and temperature range are required to study R1448H. In the present study, we characterized the gating of Nav1.4 WT and R1448H mutant channels with the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique between 5 and 30 °C. Also, we determined parameters of a Markov model which was Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical able to fit the measurements at all potentials and temperatures. The model was then used to predict gating currents and single-channel properties. Materials and methods Na+ Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical channel expression WT and mutant (R1448H) α-subunit constructs of human skeletal muscle Na+ channels were assembled in the mammalian expression vector pRC/C MV and transfected into human embryonic kidney cells (HEK

293) by the calcium phosphate precipitation method. Since transient expression was low (< 10%) stable cell lines were obtained by antibiotic selection as previously described (14). Recording techniques Whole-cell currents were Batimastat recorded using an Axopatch 200A patch-clamp amplifier (Molecular Devices, USA). Signal acquisition and processing was done using the DigiData card (1200) and pCLAMP (V6) software (Molecular Devices, USA). Whole-cell currents were filtered at 10 kHz, and digitized at 10 or 20 μs. Patch pipettes were pulled on a Zeitz Puller (Zeitz Instruments, Martinsried, Germany). Pipette resistance ranged from 0.8 to 1.2 MΩ. The extracellular recording solution was (in mM): 150 NaCl, 2 KCl, 1.5 CaCl2, 1 MgCl2 and 10 HEPES, titrated to pH 7.4 with NaOH. The pipette solution was (in mM): 105 CsF, 35 NaCl, 10 EGTA and 10 HEPES, titrated to pH 7.4 with CsOH.