Abstract Background: Voltage-gated Na+ channels modulate membrane excitability in
excitable tissues. Inhibition of Na+ channels has been implicated in the effects of volatile
anesthetics on both nervous and peripheral excitable tissues. The authors investigated
isoform-selective effects of isoflurane on the major Na+ channel isoforms expressed in
excitable tissues. Methods: Rat Nav1. 2, Nav1. 4, or Nav1. 5 α subunits heterologously
expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells were analyzed by whole cell voltage clamp …