AIM: To test if puerarin (Pue) affects slow sodium current in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. METHODS: Tetrodotoxin resistant (TTXr) sodium current was recorded with whole cell patch clamp technique on DRG neurons of young adult rats. RESULTS: Pue 0.01 -2 mmol . L(-1) inhibited TTXr sodium current by 9.5% - 83.2%. The inhibition was concentration-dependent and partially reversible, but was not use-dependent nor voltage-dependent. Pue did not affect the inactivation but changed the potential for half maximal conductance from - 26 mV to - 16 mV, suggesting the activation process was inhibited. CONCLUSION: Pue moderately inhibits TTXr sodium current of rat DRG neurons.