HCN and nicotine.

Abstract

As confirmed also in subiculum nicotine may directly modulate the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide gated non-selective cation channel - HCN.2 The latter mirrors findings in interneurons of stratum oriens - SO with axons terminating within the lacunosum moleculare - SLM of hippocampus.3 It is consistent that the main role of HCN and underlying currents Ih to some extent is dogmatized, as its functional expression in hippocampus and subiculum does not make them pacemaker regions. The role of If was established relatively later, but originally was termed iK2 because of slower kinetics compared to other K+ currents.4,5.