British journal of pharmacology
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Comparative Study
Pharmacological fractionation of tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons by μ-conotoxins.
Adult rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons normally express transcripts for five isoforms of the α-subunit of voltage-gated sodium channels: NaV 1.1, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) readily blocks all but NaV 1.8 and 1.9, and pharmacological agents that discriminate among the TTX-sensitive NaV 1-isoforms are scarce. Recently, we used the activity profile of a panel of μ-conotoxins in blocking cloned rodent NaV 1-isoforms expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes to conclude that action potentials of A- and C-fibres in rat sciatic nerve were, respectively, mediated primarily by NaV 1.6 and NaV 1.7. ⋯ Combinations of μ-conotoxins can be used to determine the probable NaV 1-isoforms underlying the INa in DRG neurons. Preliminary experiments with sympathetic neurons suggest that this approach is extendable to other neurons.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of the pharmacological profiles of prasugrel and ticagrelor assessed by platelet aggregation, thrombus formation and haemostasis in rats.
Prasugrel is a third-generation thienopyridine prodrug and ticagrelor is a non-competitive P2Y12 receptor antagonist. In their phase 3 studies, both agents reduced rates of ischemic events relative to treatment with clopidogrel. ⋯ Prasugrel and ticagrelor showed several differences in their pharmacological profiles and these disparities may reflect their differing reversibility and/or pharmacokinetic profiles.