Electrochemical Study of Phenolic and Quinoid Derivatives with Putative Activity on Ion Channels

Conduction across ion channels is fundamental for many physiological processes. BK channel is modulated by several stimuli as calcium, ATP, naphtoquinones and thymol; the last two develop opposite action: decreasing or increasing ion flow. These effects could be explained because both compounds have different redox properties: naphtoquinones as oxidants and thymol as reductant. Redox potential for these compounds could be modified by different substituent addition, thus, five naphtoquinone and four phenolic derivatives were selected to be studied by cyclic voltammetry. Compounds as 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphtoquinone versus 2-amine-1,4-naphtoquinone and 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-phenol (thymol) versus 2,4,6-trimethyl-phenol showed the largest difference in peak potential. Then, these compounds will be considered to assess their action by electrophysiological trials on BK channel. At this moment only the study with thymol was carried out and it was found, for the first time, an increase in BK channel currents expressed in Xenopus oocytes.