title: Selectivity of different calcium antagonists on T- and L-type calcium currents in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes.
abstract: Both L- and T-type calcium channels are present in the heart. In cardiac myocytes L-type calcium channels are blocked by the classical calcium channel blockers, while T-type calcium channels are thought to be insensitive to these drugs and to be selectively blocked by mibefradil. We aimed to compare the T/L calcium channel blocking selectivity of several calcium channel blockers by evaluating their effects on both components evoked in the same cell from a holding potential corresponding to the normal physiological value (-90mV). Currents were recorded in single patch-clamped guinea-pig ventricular myocytes, superfused with a Na(+)- and K(+)-free solution to abolish overlapping currents. Two dihydropyridines (amlodipine and lacidipine), verapamil diltiazem and mibefradil were tested; for each compound concentrations equieffective on L-type Ca(2+) current were used. All calcium channel blockers, at concentrations blocking less than 30% of L-type Ca(2+) current, inhibited a significant amount of T-type Ca(2+) current, varying from 0.8% (diltiazem) to 28% (mibefradil). We calculated for each compound the T/L ratio. As expected, mibefradil showed the highest T selectivity; lacidipine and diltiazem resulted to be L selective. Verapamil and amlodipine were not selective. Thus, the calcium channel blockers can be differentiated on the basis of their T/L selectivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre of Molecular Medicine, University of Firenze, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Paoli
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cerbai
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koidl
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirchengast
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sartiani
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mugelli
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000502:physiology*; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type / Q000502:physiology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016276:Ventricular Function
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type