Arachidonic acid inhibits both K+ and Ca2+ currents in isolated type I cells of the rat carotid body.

Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were used to investigate the effects of arachidonic acid (AA) on K+ and Ca2+ channels in isolated rat type I carotid body cells. AA (2-20 microM) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of both K+ currents and Ca2+ channel currents. The effects of AA on K+ currents were unaffected by indomethacin (5 microM), phenidone (5 microM) or 1-aminobenzotriazole (3 mM), suggesting that AA did not exert its effects via cyclo-oxygenase, lipoxygenase or cytochrome P-450 (cP-450) metabolism. Our results suggest that AA directly and non-selectively inhibits ionic currents in rat type I carotid body cells.