title: Dihydropyridine inhibition of neuronal calcium current and substance P release.
abstract: Dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel antagonists, which inhibit the slowly inactivating or L-type cardiac calcium (Ca) current, have been shown to be ineffective in blocking 45Ca influx and Ca-dependent secretion in a number of neuronal preparations. In the studies reported here, however, the antagonist DHP nifedipine inhibited both the L-type Ca current and potassium-evoked substance P (SP) release from embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. These results suggest that, in DRG neurons, Ca entry through L-type channels is critical to the control of secretion. The inhibition of Ca current by nifedipine was both voltage and time-dependent, significant effects being observed only on currents evoked from relatively positive holding potentials maintained for several seconds. As expected from these results, nifedipine failed to inhibit L-type Ca current underlying the brief plateau phase of the action potential generated from the cell's normal resting potential; likewise, no significant effect of the drug was observed on action potential-stimulated SP release evoked by electrical field stimulation. The results of this work are discussed in terms of an assessment of the role of L-type Ca channels in neurosecretion.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002645:Chickens; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004095:Dihydropyridines; D007473:Ion Channels; D011725:Pyridines; D013373:Substance P; C038806:1,4-dihydropyridine; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium