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Slow Inactivation of Na+ Channels

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Book cover Voltage Gated Sodium Channels

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 221))

Abstract

Prolonged depolarizing pulses that last seconds to minutes cause slow inactivation of Na+ channels, which regulates neuron and myocyte excitability by reducing availability of inward current. In neurons, slow inactivation has been linked to memory of previous excitation and in skeletal muscle it ensures myocytes are able to contract when K+ is elevated. The molecular mechanisms underlying slow inactivation are unclear even though it has been studied for 50+ years. This chapter reviews what is known to date regarding the definition, measurement, and mechanisms of voltage-gated Na+ channel slow inactivation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1097, St. Louis, MO, 63116, USA

    Jonathan Silva

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Correspondence to Jonathan Silva .

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  1. Biomedical Physiology & Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Peter C. Ruben

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Silva, J. (2014). Slow Inactivation of Na+ Channels. In: Ruben, P. (eds) Voltage Gated Sodium Channels. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 221. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41588-3_3

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