title: Effects of calcium channel antagonists on Ca2+ transients in rat and canine cardiomyocytes.
abstract: First-generation Ca2+ channel antagonists depress myocardial contractility, but many of the newer Ca2+ channel blockers have a high degree of "vascular selectivity". This study compares the effects of the Ca2+ antagonists felodipine, amlodipine, mibefradil, verapamil and nifedipine, and the Ca2+ channel agonist. (S)(-)-Bay K-8644 on Ca2+ transient amplitudes in fura-2/AM-loaded rat and canine ventricular cardiomyocytes. At 10(-11) and 10(-10) M, felodipine increased [Ca2+]i transient amplitudes by 10-25% in field-stimulated fura-2-loaded cells from both species while at 10(-6) M it depressed [Ca2+]i transients by 80%. Mibefradil increased [Ca2+]i transient amplitudes by 16% at 10(-11) and 10(-10) M and decreased the transients by 25% at 10(-6) M. The calcium channel agonist, (S)(-)-Bay K-8644 increased [Ca2+]i transient amplitudes at 10(-10)-10(-6) M (maximally 37% at 10(-7) M) but depressed [Ca2+]i transients by 10% at 10(-5) M. Nifedipine was inhibitory at all concentrations tested (10(-11)-10(-6) M) in canine myocytes, but in rat cells. 10(-10) M nifedipine increased [Ca2+]i transient amplitudes by 37%. All concentrations of verapamil and amlodipine (10(-11)-10(-6) M) depressed [Ca2+]i transients in both rat and canine myocytes. We conclude that: (1) felodipine and mibefradil may be positive rather than negative inotropes at low concentrations, which are therapeutically relevant: and (2) low concentrations of nifedipine may have a positive inotropic effect in the rat but not the dog heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus 43210-1218, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hensley
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Billman
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hohl
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Altschuld
mesh_terms: D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002120:Calcium Channel Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D002120:Calcium Channel Agonists; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester; D002118:Calcium