Asian Journal
Of Traditional Medicines

Abstract: The effects of ANEPIII, a novel recombinant neurotoxic polypeptide originally from Buthus martensi Karsch, on mRNA expression changes of voltage-gated potassium channel subunits were studied in primary cultured rat hippocampal and cortical neurons. Total RNA was abstracted from cultured rat hippocampal and cortical neurons. The effects of ANEPIII on the voltage-gated potassium ion channels protein transcript levels were studied using RT-PCR. The results showed that ANEPIII reduced the delayed rectifying (Kv 1.5) channel mRNA expression at 3-48 h and 24 h in cultured rat hippocampal and cortical neurons, respectively. However, delayed rectifying (Kv 2.1) mRNA expression was up-regulated markedly in the cultured cortical neurons 12 h after exposure to ANEPIII 1.0 µM. These results suggested that the down-regulation of Kv 1.5 on transcription levels may be involved in the enhancement of delayed rectification of outward potassium currents induced by ANEPIII.

Key words: ANEPIII, RT-PCR, hippocampus, cortex, potassium channel, Buthus martensi Karsch