ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To record funny currents (If) of ventricular myocytes and to analysize hyperpolarization-activated cation channel(HCN) expression in the rats of different ages.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fresh ventricular myocytes were isolated from 3 days rats and adult rats.HCN expressions were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(real-time PCR). It was recorded through whole-cell patch clamp.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HCN1, HCN2, HCN3, HCN4 mRNA represented 0.23% +/- 0.01%, 83.58% +/- 0.04%, 0.79% +/- 0.01%, 15.44% +/- 0.01% of total HCN mRNA in the neonatal rats, respectively. If was recorded and the threshold for activation was -75 mV. In the adult rat, HCN1, HCN2, HCN3, HCN4 mRNA represented 0.72% +/- 0.02%, 91.58% +/- 0.08%, 0.27% +/- 0.02%, 7.12% +/- 0.02% of total HCN mRNA. The ratio of HCN2 to HCN4 was approximately (13.06 +/- 0.21):1. The threshold for activation of If was approximately -115 mV in the adult rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>With the development of rats, the value of If is smaller. The threshold for activation of If is more negative. The ratio of HCN2 to HCN4 is bigger.</p>