This study addressed the effects of Yb3+ on voltage-gated sodium currents in rat hippocampal neurons using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Voltage-clamp recordings in single neurons were filtered and stored in a computer. Yb3+ increased the amplitude of sodium currents in a concentration-dependent and voltage-dependent manner. The 50 % enhancement concentration of Yb3+ on sodium currents was about 8.97 lmol/L, which was different from the inhibitory effects of Yb3+ on potassium current. The analysis on the activation and inactivation kinetics of Na+ current showed that 100 lmol/L Yb3+ did not change the process of activation and inactivation. In addition, the times reaching the peak of current(t) and inactivated time constant(s) were voltage dependent. 100 lmol/L Yb3+ significantly prolonged the time to peak at-70 and-80 mV. The effect disappeared at the positive direction of-70 mV. Furthermore, Yb3+ decreased s values to more positive values than-80 mV. In total, Yb3+ did not change the process of activation, but impelled inactivated process. Yb3+ mainly increased the Na+ current through changing its conductance. It might be one of the mechanisms that Yb3+ affected the hippocampal neurons.
