Nav1.6 channels generate resurgent sodium currents in spinal sensory neurons

The Nav1.6 voltage-gated sodium channel has been implicated in the generation of resurgent currents in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Our data show that resurgent sodium currents are produced by some large diameter dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from wild-type mice, but not from Nav1.6-null mice; small DRG neurons do not produce resurgent currents. Many, but not all, DRG neurons transfected with Nav1.6 produce resurgent currents. These results demonstrate for the first time the intrinsic ability of Nav1.6 to produce a resurgent current, and also show that cell background is critical in permitting the generation of these currents.