title: The dihydropyridine niguldipine inhibits T-type Ca2+ currents in atrial myocytes.
abstract: The whole-cell tight seal recording technique was used to investigate the effects of niguldipine, a novel dihydropyridine, on Ca2+ currents in guinea pig atrial cells. Ca2+ currents were separated into T-type and L-type components by an appropriate voltage protocol. Extracellular application of 1 microM (+/-)-niguldipine (NIG) resulted in a pronounced blockade of both T-type (to 20 +/- 10% of control, n = 5) and L-type Ca2+ currents (to 28 +/- 12% of control, n = 5). Current to voltage relationships clearly showed that both Ca2+ currents were blocked over the whole voltage range examined (-60 to +40 mV). The inhibitory effect of niguldipine on T-type Ca2+ currents was found to be voltage-dependent, i.e. prolonged hyperpolarization to -90 mV led to a partial and transient removal of NIG block. The IC50 for T-type Ca2+ current inhibition by (+/-)-NIG was determined as 0.18 microM. NIG action is stereospecific. (+)-niguldipine was found to be more potent than (-)-niguldipine in blocking both Ca2+ currents. This study demonstrates the Ca2+ antagonistic action of the dihydropyridine NIG, which may not discriminate between T- and L-type Ca2+ channels.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biophysics, University of Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romanin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seydl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Glossmann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schindler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D002118:Calcium; C054074:niguldipine