Molecular determinants of pentamidine-induced hERG trafficking inhibition.

ABSTRACT: Pentamidine is an antiprotozoal compound that clinically causes acquired long QT syndrome (acLQTS), which is associated with prolonged QT intervals, tachycardias, and sudden cardiac arrest. Pentamidine delays terminal repolarization in human heart by acutely blocking cardiac inward rectifier currents. At the same time, pentamidine reduces surface expression of the cardiac potassium channel I(Kr)/human ether à-go-go-related gene (hERG). This is unusual in that acLQTS is caused most often by direct block of the cardiac potassium current I(Kr)/hERG. The present study was designed to provide a more complete picture of how hERG surface expression is disrupted by pentamidine at the cellular and molecular levels. Using biochemical and electrophysiological methods, we found that pentamidine exclus

SUBMITTER: Dennis AT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3263949 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature