PUERARIN INHIBITS TETRODOTOXIN-RESISTANT SODIUM CURRENT IN RAT DORSAL-ROOT GANGLION NEURONS

AIM: To test if puerarin (Pue) affects slow sodium current in dorsal r oot ganglion (DRG) neurons. METHODS: Tetrodotoxin resistant (TTXr) sod ium current was recorded with whole cell patch clamp technique on DRG neurons of young adult rats. RESULTS: Pue 0.01 -2 mmol . L(-1) inhibit ed TTXr sodium current by 9.5% - 83.2%. The inhibition was concentrati on-dependent and partially reversible, but was not use-dependent nor v oltage-dependent. Pue did not affect the inactivation but changed the potential for half maximal conductance from - 26 mV to - 16 mV, sugges ting the activation process was inhibited. CONCLUSION: Pue moderately inhibits TTXr sodium current of rat DRG neurons.