Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel (Slow Inactivation) (NaV (Slow Inactivation))

Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) are essential membrane proteins responsible for the initiation and propagation of action potentials. Slow inactivation is a biophysical process that regulates the availability of these channels over extended periods (seconds to minutes), influencing membrane excitability, firing properties, and spike frequency adaptation. It involves structural rearrangements at the pore and selectivity filter, contributing to slow spike adaptation and burst termination during repetitive or prolonged depolarizations. Defective slow inactivation is linked to diseases like hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and long-QT syndrome. Drugs targeting sodium channels can interact with state-dependent receptor sites, including those associated with slow-inactivated conformations, offering possibilities for improved specificity.

Other names

Sodium Channel Slow InactivationNa+ Channel Slow InactivationPersistent Sodium CurrentSlow-Inactivated Sodium Channels

State-dependent binding to sodium channels, stabilizing the slow-inactivated state and reducing sodium current