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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Feb 25.
Published in final edited form as: Dialog Cardiovasc Med. 2009 Jan 1;14(1):44–51.

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Comparison of the sodium channels SCN5A and SkM1 as inward charge carriers in normal and depolarized cells (the latter mimicking an epicardial border zone in a myocardial infarct). Depicted are the sequence of channel states from resting through open (depolarized) and repolarizing. The Na channel is shown as are the m and h gates (in open or closed configurations). Top: At −90 mV SCN5A (and SkM1) carries inward Na current (yellow arrow) during open channel state. Middle: At −60 mV the h gate is closed and there is no inward current via SCN5A. Bottom: At −60mV there is inward Na current through SkM1 (yellow arrow). Hence, SkM1 is capable of carrying robust current at membrane potentials at which SCN5A is inactivated and non-functional. (created using Servier technology, from an idea of Ira Cohen and Jia Lu).