Maprotiline, an atypical antidepressant, can induce prolonged QT and torsades de pointes. We studied the effects of maprotiline on human ether-a-go-go-related gone (HERG) channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes and HEK293 cells. Maprotiline induced a concentration-dependent decrease in current amplitudes at the end of the voltage steps and tail currents of HERG. The V$_{1/2}$ values in the absence and presence of 1 -20 ${mu}$M maprotiline were not significantly different, while the values decreased according to the concentrations of the drug at 50-300 ${mu}$M. The IC$_{50}$ for a maprotiline block of HERG current in Xenopus oocytes did not change according to depolarization; 39.5 ${pm}$ 3.2 ${mu}$M at -40 mV and 43.6 ${pm}$ 2.8 ${mu}$M at +40 mV. The block of HERG by maprotiline was examined after treatment of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), an amino-group reagent that neutralizes the positively charged amino-groups of peptide N-terminal and lysine residues. TNBS inhibited the change of V$_{1/2}$ values induced by 50-300 mM maprotiline, and aggravated the drug-induced g$_{max}$ decrease. The IC$_{50}$ for the maprotiline-induced blockade of HERG currents in HEK293 cells at 36$^{circ}$C was 0.13 ${mu}$M at +20 mV. Our findings suggest that the arrhythmogenic side effects of maprotiline are caused by a blockade of HERG and possibly by a blockade of delayed rectifier K$^+$channel.