title: Mechanism of cardiac T-type Ca channel blockade by amiloride.
abstract: Whole cell clamp experiments were used to study the mechanism of action of amiloride on cardiac T-type Ca channels in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Two hundred fifty microM amiloride blocked the T-type Ca channel for approximately 50%, whereas this concentration did not suppress the L-type Ca channel. The Kd value for the block of the T-type Ca channel was 233 microM and the Hill coefficient was 1.1. The drug showed a rapid onset of action and a quick wash out with complete reversibility. Amiloride blocked the T-type Ca channel without frequency-dependency, i.e., block was established at the holding potential (-90 mV) without being dependent on activation and inactivation of the channel. Amiloride reduced the amplitude of the T-type Ca current at all potentials without changing steady-state activation and inactivation. Amiloride did not affect the T-type Ca current when the drug was applied intracellularly via the pipette solution. In summary, amiloride blocked the T-type Ca channel in a channel state- and voltage-independent way.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tytgat
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vereecke
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carmeliet
mesh_terms: D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D000584:Amiloride