This study characterized functional ion channels in cultured undifferentiated human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from bone marrow with whole-cell patch clamp and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques. Three types of outward currents were found in hMSCs, including a noise-like rapidly activating outward current inhibited by the large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel (I(KCa)) blocker iberiotoxin, a transient outward K(+) current (I(to)) suppressed by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), and a delayed rectifier K(+) current (IK(DR))-like ether-à-go-go (eag) K(+) channel. In addition, tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium current (I(Na.TTX)) and nifedipine-sensitive L-type Ca(2+) current (I(Ca.L)) were also detected in 29% and 15% hMSCs, respectively. Moreover, RT-PCR revealed the molecular evidence of high levels of mRNA for the functional ionic currents, including human MaxiK for I(KCa), Kv4.2 and Kv1.4 for I(to), heag1 for IK(DR), hNE-Na for I(Na.TTX), and CACNAIC for I(Ca.L). These results demonstrate that multiple functional ion channel currents--that is, I(KCa), I(to), heag1, I(Na.TTX), and I(Ca.L)--are expressed in hMSCs from bone marrow.