OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on sodium channel current (I(Na)) and transient outward potassium channel current (I(to)) in rat ventricular myocytes and to evaluate potential anti-arrhythmic mechanisms of DHA.

METHODSI(Na) and I(to) of individual ventricular myocytes were recorded by patch-clamp technique in whole-cell configuration at room temperature. Effects of DHA at various concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 micromol/L) on I(Na) and I(to) were observed.

RESULTS(1) I(Na) was blocked in a concentration-dependent manner by DHA, stably inactivated curves were shifted to the left, and recover time from inactivation was prolonged while stably activated curves were not affected by DHA. At -30 mV, I(Na) was blocked to (1.51 ± 1.32)%, (21.13 ± 4.62)%, (51.61 ± 5.73)%, (67.62 ± 6.52)%, (73.49 ± 7.59)% and (79.95 ± 7.62)% in the presence of above DHA concentrations (all P < 0.05, n = 20), and half-effect concentration (EC(50)) of DHA on I(Na) was (47.91 ± 1.57)micromol/L. (2) I(to) were also blocked in a concentration-dependent manner by DHA, stably inactivated curves were shifted to the left, and recover time from inactivation was prolonged with increasing concentrations of DHA, and stably activated curves were not affected by DHA. At +70 mV, I(to) was blocked to (2.61 ± 0.26)%, (21.79 ± 4.85)%, (63.11 ± 6.57)%, (75.52 ± 7.26)%, (81.82 ± 7.63)% and (84.33 ± 8.25)%, respectively, in the presence of above DHA concentrations (all P < 0.05, n = 20), and the EC(50) of DHA on I(to) was (49.11 ± 2.68)micromol/L.

CONCLUSIONThe blocking effects of DHA on APD and I(to) may serve as one of the anti-arrhythmia mechanisms of DHA.