Polysorbate 80 blocked a peripheral sodium channel, Nav1.7, and reduced neuronal excitability

Polysorbate 80 is a non-ionic detergent derived from polyethoxylated sorbitan and oleic acid. It is widely used in pharmaceuticals, foods, and cosmetics as an emulsifier. Nav1.7 is a peripheral sodium channel that is highly expressed in sympathetic and sensory neurons, and it plays a critical role in determining the threshold of action potentials (APs). We found that 10 μg/mL polysorbate 80 either abolished APs or increased the threshold of the APs of dorsal root ganglions. We thus investigated whether polysorbate 80 inhibits Nav1.7 sodium current using a whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique. Polysorbate 80 decreased the Nav1.7 current in a concentration-dependent manner with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 250.4 μg/mL at a holding potential of −120 mV. However, the IC50 was 1.1 μg/mL at a holding potential of −90 mV and was estimated to be 0.9 μg/mL at the resting potentials of neurons, where most channels are inactivated. The activation rate and the voltage dependency of activation of Nav1.7 were not changed by polysorbate 80. However, polysorbate 80 caused hyperpolarizing shifts in the voltage dependency of the steady-state fast inactivation curve. The blocking of Nav1.7 currents by polysorbate 80 was not reversible at a holding potential of −90 mV but was completely reversible at −120 mV, where the channels were mostly in the closed state. Polysorbate 80 also slowed recovery from inactivation and induced robust use-dependent inhibition, indicating that it is likely to bind to and stabilize the inactivated state. Our results indicate that polysorbate 80 inhibits Nav1.7 current in concentration-, state-, and use-dependent manners when used even below commercial concentrations. This suggests that polysorbate 80 may be helpful in pain medicine as an excipient. In addition, in vitro experiments using polysorbate 80 with neurons should be conducted with caution.