Effects of calmodulin and calcium channel blockers on the Ca2+ induced outflow of K+ in intact red blood cells of patients with essential hypertension.
The correlation between the alterations of free intracellular calcium concentrations and the essential arterial hypertension has been largely investigated. Calmodulin, a cytoplasmic protein with low molecular weight, is one of the factors known to be able to affect the activity of calcium-dependent enzymes. The authors have investigated the effect of calcium and calmodulin on the plasmatic membrane of intact erythrocytes in a group of patients with essential arterial hypertension. To this purpose, the ionophor A23187, propranolol at low concentrations and a few calcium channel blocking drugs, alone or associated with calmodulin have been used. The results demonstrate that calmodulin, capable of blocking calcium outside the cell, can exert its effect only when propranolol is also present in the erythrocytes of normotensive but not in the hypertensive patients. The authors discuss some pathogenetic hypotheses.
Buemi
M
M
Marino
D
D
Giacobbe
M S
MS
Squadrito
F
F
Cinquegrani
M
M
Frisina
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D002147:Calmodulin; D000001:Calcimycin; D011433:Propranolol; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium