1. The electrophysiological actions of quinacainol were investigated on sodium (I(Na)), transient outward (i(to)) and sustained-outward plateau (iKsus) potassium currents in rat isolated cardiac myocytes using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique and compared with quinidine. 2. Quinacainol blocked sodium currents in a concentration-dependent manner and with a potency similar to that of quinidine (mean (+/-SEM) EC50 50+/-12 vs 95+/-25 micromol/L for quinidine and quinacainol, respectively). However, quinacainol had a considerably prolonged onset and recovery from block compared with quinidine. 3. Neither quinacainol nor quinidine significantly changed the steady state voltage dependence of activation of sodium currents. Quinidine produced a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence for sodium current inactivation, but no such shift was observed with quinacainol at doses that produced a substantial current block. 4. Although quinacainol did not effectively block voltage-dependent potassium currents, even at concentrations as high as 1.5 mmol/L, quinidine, at a half-maximal sodium channel-blocking concentration, reduced peak i(to) current amplitude, increased the rate of inactivation of i(to) and blocked iKsus. 5. These results indicate that quinacainol, a quinidine analogue, blocks sodium currents in cardiac myocytes with little effect on i(to) or iKsus potassium currents, which suggests that quinacainol may be exerting class 1c anti-arrhythmic actions.