title: The effect of calcium channel antagonists and BAY K 8644 on calcium fluxes of malignant hyperpyrexia-susceptible muscle.
abstract: 1. The calcium channel antagonists verapamil (100 microM) and nifedipine (100 microM) inhibited twitch response and KCl induced hypercontractility in malignant hyperpyrexia (MH)-susceptible porcine skeletal muscle. These calcium channel antagonists did not effect hypercontractility induced by 3% halothane or 2 mM caffeine. 2. The calcium channel agonist BAY K 8644 (50 microM) induced contracture in MH-susceptible muscle but did not potentiate contracture response induced by 2 mM caffeine or 3% halothane. BAY K 8644 did not increase the resting tension of control muscle or increase the sensitivity of control muscle to 4 mM caffeine, 3% halothane or 80 mM KCl. 3. The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) from MH-susceptible and control porcine skeletal muscle was separated into vesicular fractions enriched in the membrane elements of the terminal cisternae and longitudinal tubules. 4. Verapamil and diltiazem [which has been previously shown to inhibit the hypercontractility of MH-susceptible porcine muscle to caffeine, halothane and KCl (Foster and Denborough, 1989 Br. J. Anaesth. 62, 566-572)] did not effect Ca2+ uptake or Ca(2+)-dependent ATPase activities of SR longitudinal tubule membranes, from MH-susceptible or control muscle. These calcium channel antagonists did not effect Ca2+ release from terminal cisternae preparations. 5. The skeletal muscle relaxant dantrolene inhibited Ca2+ efflux and equilibrium-Ca2+ exchange associated with the terminal cisternae membrane of MH-susceptible and control skeletal muscle. 6. Calcium channel antagonists modify Ca2+ fluxes in MH-susceptible and control muscle by acting at a site distal to the SR. Calcium channel antagonists may inhibit contractile response by modifying events of excitation-contraction coupling associated with the voltage sensor molecule (dihydropyridine-receptor) of the transverse-tubule membrane, whereas dantrolene directly acts on the terminal cisternae membrane to inhibit Ca2+ efflux and equilibrium Ca2+ exchange. Different calcium channel antagonists seem to modify the voltage-sensor mechanism in different ways in MH-susceptible muscle. 7. An abnormality in the coupling mechanism of the voltage sensor-SR calcium release channel may exist in MH-susceptible muscle. This dysfunction may be an adaptation to the elevated levels of myoplasmic Ca2+ and/or the molecular defect described in the Ca2+ release channel of the SR of MH-susceptible porcine muscle. In view of these results it is unlikely that nifedipine or verapamil would be of therapeutic value for the treatment of MH.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Denborough
mesh_terms: D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000378:metabolism; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000494:pharmacology; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology; D008305:Malignant Hyperthermia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D002110:Caffeine; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester; D014700:Verapamil; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D004110:Diltiazem; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium; D006221:Halothane