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Tetrodotoxin (TTX) poisoning through the consumption of contaminated fish leads to lethal symptoms, including severe hypotension. This TTX-induced hypotension is likely due to the downfall of peripheral arterial resistance through direct or indirect effects on adrenergic signaling. TTX is a high-affinity blocker of voltage-gated Na+ (NaV) channels. In arteries, NaV channels are expressed in sympathetic nerve endings, both in the intima and media. In this present work, we aimed to decipher the role of NaV channels in vascular tone using TTX. We first characterized the expression of NaV channels in the aorta, a model of conduction arteries, and in mesenteric arteries (MA), a model of resistance arteries, in C57Bl/6J mice, by Western blot, immunochemistry, and absolute RT-qPCR. Our data showed that these channels are expressed in both endothelium and media of aorta and MA, in which scn2a and scn1b were the most abundant transcripts, suggesting that murine vascular NaV channels consist of NaV1.2 channel subtype with NaVβ1 auxiliary subunit. Using myography, we showed that TTX (1 µM) induced complete vasorelaxation in MA in the presence of veratridine and cocktails of antagonists (prazosin and atropine with or without suramin) that suppressed the effects of neurotransmitter release. In addition, TTX (1 µM) strongly potentiated the flow-mediated dilation response of isolated MA. Altogether, our data showed that TTX blocks NaV channels in resistance arteries and consecutively decreases vascular tone. This could explain the drop in total peripheral resistance observed during mammal tetrodotoxications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isoquinoline alkaloids (IAs) represent a large and diverse subfamily of phytochemicals in terms of structures and pharmacological activities, including ion channel inhibition. Several IAs, such as liriodenine (an oxoaporphine) and curine (a bisbenzylisoquinoline (BBIQ), inhibit the L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (LTCC). In this study, we aimed to search for new blockers of LTCC, which are therapeutic targets in neurological and cardiovascular diseases. We set up a screening assay using the rat pituitary GH3b6 cell line, which expresses two LTCC isoforms, CaV1.2 and CaV1.3. Both LTCC subtypes can be indirectly activated by KCl concentration elevation or directly by the dihydropyridine (DHP), BAY K8644, leading to an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). These Ca2+ responses were completely blocked by the selective LTCC DHP inhibitor, nifedipine. Thereby, 16 selected IAs were tested for their ability to inhibit KCl and BAY K8644-induced Ca2+ responses. We then identified three new potent LTCC blockers, namely, oxostephanine, thaliphyline, and thalmiculine. They inhibited LTCC with IC50 values in the micromolar range through interaction to a binding site different to that of dihydropyridines. The two subfamilies of IAs, oxoaporphine with oxostephanine, and BBIQs with both thalyphilline and thalmiculine, constitute interesting pharmacophores for the development of future therapeutic leads for neurological and cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage-gated Na+ (NaV) channels are significant therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiac and neurological disorders, thus promoting the search for novel NaV channel ligands. With the objective of discovering new blockers of NaV channel ligands, we screened an In-House vegetal alkaloid library using fluorescence cell-based assays. We screened 62 isoquinoline alkaloids (IA) for their ability to decrease the FRET signal of voltage sensor probes (VSP), which were induced by the activation of NaV channels with batrachotoxin (BTX) in GH3b6 cells. This led to the selection of five IA: liriodenine, oxostephanine, thalmiculine, protopine, and bebeerine, inhibiting the BTX-induced VSP signal with micromolar IC50. These five alkaloids were then assayed using the Na+ fluorescent probe ANG-2 and the patch-clamp technique. Only oxostephanine and liriodenine were able to inhibit the BTX-induced ANG-2 signal in HEK293-hNaV1.3 cells. Indeed, liriodenine and oxostephanine decreased the effects of BTX on Na+ currents elicited by the hNaV1.3 channel, suggesting that conformation change induced by BTX binding could induce a bias in fluorescent assays. However, among the five IA selected in the VSP assay, only bebeerine exhibited strong inhibitory effects against Na+ currents elicited by the hNav1.2 and hNav1.6 channels, with IC50 values below 10 µM. So far, bebeerine is the first BBIQ to have been reported to block NaV channels, with promising therapeutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results show that it is possible to incorporate a pharmacological profile of peptide toxins into the bacteril potassium channel protein and its chimeras carrying the mammalian subregion I of the corresponding channel protein.

Fipronil (FPN) is a worldwide-used neurotoxic insecticide, targeting, and blocking GABAA receptors (GABAARs). Beyond its efficiency on insect GABAARs, FPN causes neurotoxic effects in humans and mammals. Here, we investigated the mode of action of FPN on mammalian α6-containing GABAARs to understand its inhibitory effects on GABA-induced currents, as a function of the synaptic or extrasynaptic localization of GABAARs. We characterized the effects of FPN by electrophysiology using Xenopus oocytes which were microtransplanted with cerebellum membranes or injected with α6β3, α6β3γ2S (synaptic), and α6β3δ (extrasynaptic) cDNAs. At micromolar concentrations, FPN dose-dependently inhibited cerebellar GABA currents. FPN acts as a non-competitive antagonist on ternary receptors. Surprisingly, the inhibition of GABA-induced currents was partial for extra-synaptic (α6β3δ) and binary (α6β3) receptors, while synaptic α6β3γ2S receptors were fully blocked, indicating that the complementary γ or δ subunit participates in FPN-GABAAR interaction. FPN unexpectedly behaved as a positive modulator on β3 homopentamers. These data show that FPN action is driven by the subunit composition of GABAARs—highlighting the role of the complementary subunit—and thus their localization within a physiological synapse. We built a docking model of FPN on GABAARs, which reveals two putative binding sites. This is consistent with a double binding mode of FPN on GABAARs, possibly one being of high affinity and the other of low affinity. Physiologically, the γ/δ subunit incorporation drives its inhibitory level and has important significance for its toxicity on the mammalian nervous system, especially in acute exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]