Their working mechanism is based on binding to sodium channels, which leads to increased excitation especially in cardiac myocytes.
When a predator approaches the anemone, their reaction is to withdraw their tentacles and oral disc.
Anthopleurins slow down inactivation of the sodium channels[4] As a result, they can have positive inotropic effects on the whole heart.
Anthopleurin has no effect on heart rate and blood pressure when given in concentrations of normal range.
AP-Q is quite similar to vesnarinone, a quinolinone derivative, a medicine that can be given to patients with chronic heart failure.
Only lower doses of both AP-Q and vesnarinone have beneficial effects without raising blood pressure or heart rhythm.
This hyperpolarizing effect could lead to increased uptake of substrates that help in restoring the cellular ATP levels.