title: Effect of nifedipine on the contractile function of the rat diaphragm in vitro.
abstract: The isometric contractile response of the directly-stimulated rat diaphragm was studied before and following addition of the calcium channel blocker, nifedipine. Nifedipine (10 micrograms/ml and 30 micrograms/ml bath concentrations) significantly increased isometric force output during twitch and unfused tetanic stimulation. Force potentiation during unfused tetanic stimulation was equivalent during either high or low voltage stimulation. Nifedipine had no effect on the time to peak force, half relaxation time, or relaxation time during twitch stimulation; thus, both activation and relaxation rates were increased. The force potentiating actions of nifedipine persisted in a calcium-free bathing solution and were enhanced by d-tubocurarine. In contrast to the force enhancing effects found with twitch and unfused tetanic stimulation, nifedipine caused a small but significant reduction in isometric force during maximal fused tetanic stimulation. It is concluded that the force potentiating effects of nifedipine on rat diaphragm are not due to fiber recruitment, enhancement of neuromuscular excitation, or altered inward trans-sarcolemmal calcium flux, but may result from a direct effect of the drug on the rate of activation of the contractile apparatus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brockton/West Roxbury Veterans Administration Medical Center, MA 02401.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014403:Tubocurarine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium; D014403:Tubocurarine