Ca2+ flux through promiscuous cardiac Na+ channels: slip-mode conductance.

The tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium ion (Na+) channel is opened by cellular depolarization and favors the passage of Na+ over other ions. Activation of the beta-adrenergic receptor or protein kinase A in rat heart cells transformed this Na+ channel into one that is promiscuous with respect to ion selectivity, permitting calcium ions (Ca2+) to permeate as readily as Na+. Similarly, nanomolar concentrations of cardiotonic steroids such as ouabain and digoxin switched the ion selectivity of the Na+ channel to this state of promiscuous permeability called slip-mode conductance. Slip-mode conductance of the Na+ channel can contribute significantly to local and global cardiac Ca2+ signaling and may be a general signaling mechanism in excitable cells.