Method for measuring inhibition of drugs on HERG potassium channel

摘要

A method for measuring inhibition of a HERG potassium channel by drugs is provided, which inhibition of a HERG (human ether-a-go--go-related gene) potassium channel by drugs causes long QT syndrom(LQTS) that results in heart arrhythmia. The method for measuring inhibition of a HERG potassium channel by drugs comprises the steps of: (1) transforming a cell with a HERG gene; (2) treating the transformed cell with a drug; and (3) measuring the electric current from the HERG potassium channel expressed from the transformed cell using an extracellular solution and intracellular solution, wherein the gene HERG is isolated from a cDNA library of sea horse(Hippocampus sp.); the cell is a mammal cell; the extracellular solution comprises NaCl, KCl, HEPES, NaH2PO4, MgCl2, glucose and CaCl2; and the intracellular solution comprises KCl, MgCl2, EGTA, MgATP and HEPES.