Development and Application of a Multiple Reaction Monitoring Method for the Simultaneous Quantification of Sodium Channels Nav1.1, Nav1.2, and Nav1.6 in Solubilized Membrane Proteins from Stable HEK293 Cell Lines, Rodents, and Human Brain Tissues

Rationale: Nav1.1, 1.2, and 1.6 are transmembrane proteins acting as voltage-gated sodium channels implicated in various forms of epilepsy. There is a need for knowing their actual concentration in target tissues during drug development. Methods: Unique peptides for Nav1.1, Nav1.2, and Nav1.6 were selected as quantotropic peptides for each protein and used for their quantification in membranes from stably transfected HEK293 cells and rodent and human brain samples using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Nav 1.1, 1.2, and 1.6 protein expressions in three stably individually transfected HEK293 cell lines were found to be 2.1 ± 0.2, 6.4 ± 1.2, and 4.0 ± 0.6 fmol/μg membrane protein, respectively. In brains, Nav1.2 showed the highest expression, with approximately three times higher (P < 0.003) in rodents than in humans at 3.05 ± 0.57, with 3.35 ± 0.56 in mouse and rat brains and 1.09 ± 0.27 fmol/μg in human brain. Both Nav1.1 and 1.6 expressions were much lower in the brains, with approximately 40% less expression in human Nav1.1 than rodent Nav1.1 at 0.49 ± 0.1 (mouse), 0.43 ± 0.3 (rat), and 0.28 ± 0.04 (humans); whereas Nav1.6 had approximately 60% less expression in humans than rodents at 0.27 ± 0.09 (mouse), 0.26 ± 0.06 (rat), and 0.11 ± 0.02 (humans) fmol/μg membrane proteins. Conclusions: Multiple reaction monitoring was used to quantify sodium channels Nav1.1, 1.2, and 1.6 expressed in stably transfected HEK293 cells and brain tissues from mice, rats, and humans. We found significant differences in the expression of these channels in mouse, rat, and human brains. Nav expression ranking among the three species was Nav1.2 ≫ Nav1.1 > Nav1.6, with the human brain expressing much lower concentrations overall compared to rodent brain.

Keywords: Q4 2023