Further investigation of a potential calcium channel modulator isolated from rat erythrocytes

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 1252-1258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing S. Huang ◽  
William D. McCumbee ◽  
Gary L. Wright

The contractile effects of a peptide isolated from rat erythrocytes were further studied in rat aortic rings. Previous data showed that preincubation of aortic tissue with the peptide had no effect on resting tension, but significantly enhanced K+ and norepinephrine (NE) induced contraction. The calcium channel antagonist verapamil noncompetitively blocked the effect of the peptide, whereas nifedipine blockage appeared to be competitive. In the present study the peptide enhanced K+, NE, and phenylephrine (PE) induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner, with a maximum enhancement at peptide concentrations of 10−7–10−6 M. At a concentration as low as 10−9 M, the peptide significantly enhanced K+-induced, but not NE- or PE-induced, contraction. The magnitude of maximal enhancement was greater for K+-induced contraction than that for NE- or PE-induced contraction. Preincubation of the tissues with the peptide caused a leftward shift of cumulative concentration–response curves to K+ and NE. The peptide enhancement of contraction increased with increasing K+ and NE concentration. The peptide potentiated the contractile response to Ca2+ in K+-depolarizing medium. It also enhanced the contractile response to NE in intracellular Ca2+-pool-depleted tissue following the replenishment of extracellular Ca2+, but had no apparent effect on the mobilization of intracellular calcium. Addition of nifedipine caused a rightward shift of both the peptide and Bay K 8644 concentration–response curves. Schild analysis for nifedipine antagonism, however, showed that the slope of the plot was significantly different from unity in both the Bay K 8644 and peptide responses, invalidating the use of this technique for conclusions regarding the nature of the nifedipine antagonism and site of action of the peptide. These data indicate that this peptide, like Bay K 8644, may influence the contractile sensitivity of aortic smooth muscle by acting as an endogenous modulator of voltage-dependent calcium channels.Key words: peptide, rat aortic ring, contractility, Bay K 8644.

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 760-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seymour Heisler

The dihydropyridine calcium channel activator, BAY-K-8644, stimulates cGMP formation in ACTH-secreting mouse AtT-20 clonal corticotrophs. The recent report that calmodulin antagonists could inhibit dihydropyridine binding in several tissues suggested that these agents might also affect the cyclic nucleotide response to BAY-K-8644. In fact, TMB-8, trifluoperazine, and melittin, described as in vitro antagonists of calmodulin-dependent enzyme activities, all inhibited BAY-K-8644 induced cGMP synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner. The antagonists had no effect on cGMP formation stimulated by sodium nitroprusside or sodium azide. The calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine, did not stimulate cGMP formation nor did it alter the effect of BAY-K-8644 on accumulation of the nucleotide; one explanation thus is that the cyclase involved in cGMP formation is coupled to a low affinity binding site for BAY-K-8644, which is less accessible to other dihydropyridines. The relation of cyclic GMP formation to the function of the calcium channel in AtT-20 cells remains unknown.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohaib Mushtaq ◽  
Mueen Ahmad Chaudhry ◽  
Hafiz Muhammad Abdul Rahman

<p><em>Abies pindrow</em> is widely used in traditional practice for the treatment of diarrhea and bronchitis and the present study was designed to validate its folkloric uses. The crude extract of <em>A. pindrow</em> inhibit spontaneously contracting (1-10 mg/mL) and high K<sup>+</sup> (80 mM)-induced pre-contracted rabbit jejun-um (3 mg/mL) in concentration dependent manner. A rightward shift in Ca<sup>+2</sup> concentration response curves was seen in the presence of crude extract (0.1-0.3), similar to verapamil. In isolated tracheal tissue, <em>A. pindrow</em> inhibited, high K<sup>+</sup> and carbachol (1 µM)-induced contractions, at 3 mg/mL and 10 mg/mL respectively, similar to that caused by verapamil. These results indicate the presence of calcium channels blocked activity in crude extract of <em>A. pindrow</em>, which provide sound basis for medicinal uses of<em> A. pindrow</em> in diarrhea and bronchitis.   </p><p> </p>


2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (10) ◽  
pp. 1004-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Boselli ◽  
M. Santagostino Barbone ◽  
A. Lucchelli

Substance P (SP) is possibly involved in the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety. We investigated interactions between antidepressants on SP-induced effects and their potential calcium-blocking activity in the isolated guinea pig ileum. All the antidepressants tested, except pargyline, moclobemide, mianserin, and reboxetine, were able to inhibit in a concentration-dependent manner the contraction induced by 100 nmol/L SP. Clomipramine, fluoxetine, maprotiline, and amitriptyline (all at 3 μmol/L) flattened the concentration–response curves to SP, resulting in a reduction of up to 59%, 63%, 32%, and 23%, respectively, of the maximum contractile effect. All the antidepressants tested (3 μmol/L), except pargyline, moclobemide, and mianserin, produced a rightward parallel shift of the concentration–response curve to CaCl2. The L-type selective calcium blocker nifedipine and the T-type selective mibefradil showed similar behaviour against both agonists used, SP and CaCl2. The relative order of potency was nifedipine (pA2, 7.6 ± 0.1) > clomipramine (pA2, 7.0 ± 0.1) > fluoxetine (pKB, 6.5 ± 0.1) = mibefradil (pKB, 6.6 ± 0.1) > amitriptyline (pKB, 6.3 ± 0.1) = maprotiline (pKB, 6.2 ± 0.1) > fluvoxamine (pKB, 5.9 ± 0.1). The data reported in the present study suggest that the antidepressants tested did not behave as competitive antagonists versus NK1-receptor subtypes, but their inhibitory action seems to be related to their calcium-blocking properties.


2000 ◽  
Vol 278 (2) ◽  
pp. H567-H576 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Cadorette ◽  
B. Sicotte ◽  
M. Brochu ◽  
J. St-Louis

The contribution of potassium channels [ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) and high-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BKCa) channels] in the resistance of aortic rings of term pregnant rats to phenylephrine (Phe), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and KCl was investigated. Concentration-response curves to tetraethylammonium (TEA), a nonselective K+ channel inhibitor, were obtained in the absence or presence of KCl. TEA induced by itself concentration-dependent responses only in aortic rings of nonpregnant rats. These responses to TEA could be modulated in both groups of rings by preincubation with different concentrations of KCl. Concentration-response curves to Phe, AVP, and KCl were obtained in the absence or presence of cromakalim or NS-1619 (KATP and BKCa openers, respectively) and glibenclamide or iberiotoxin (KATPand BKCa inhibitors, respectively). Cromakalim significantly inhibited the responses to the three agonists in a concentration-dependent manner in both groups of rats. Alternatively, in the pregnant group of rats, glibenclamide increased the sensitivity to all three agonists. NS-1619 also inhibited the response to all agonists. With AVP and KCl, its effect was greater in aortic rings of pregnant than nonpregnant rats. Finally, iberiotoxin increased the sensitivity to all three agents. This effect was more important in aortic rings of nonpregnant rats and was accompanied by an increase of the maximal response to Phe and AVP. These results suggest that potassium channels are implicated in the control of basal membrane potential and in the blunted responses to these agents during pregnancy.


1985 ◽  
Vol 248 (1) ◽  
pp. E15-E19
Author(s):  
I. S. Login ◽  
A. M. Judd ◽  
M. J. Cronin ◽  
T. Yasumoto ◽  
R. M. MacLeod

Reserpine exerts direct effects on several tissues, including inhibition of hormone release from rat anterior pituitary cells. To test the hypothesis that reserpine may be acting as a calcium channel antagonist, normal or GH3 rat anterior pituitary cells were preincubated in reserpine or the conventional calcium channel blocker, D-600, followed by exposure to 45Ca2+ together with stimulants of calcium uptake: maitotoxin, a potent calcium channel activator; A23187, a calcium ionophore; or 50 mMK+. After incubation, the cells were harvested by vacuum filtration and cell-associated radioactivity determined. In normal cells, reserpine blocked both basal and K+-stimulated calcium uptake. Reserpine selectively blocked maitotoxin but not A23187-induced calcium uptake. In GH3 cells 9 microM reserpine and 30 microM D-600 were equally effective in blocking maitotoxin-stimulated calcium uptake. Reserpine appears to block voltage-dependent calcium channels in pituitary cells in a concentration-dependent manner but not calcium uptake caused nonspecifically by A23187.


2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (3) ◽  
pp. H1435-H1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Morin ◽  
Christelle Guibert ◽  
Marco Sirois ◽  
Vincent Echave ◽  
Marcio M. Gomes ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to provide a mechanistic insight into how 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) relaxes distal human pulmonary arteries (HPAs). This compound is produced by ω-hydroxylase from free arachidonic acid. Tension measurements, performed on either fresh or 1 day-cultured pulmonary arteries, revealed that the contractile responses to 1 μM 5-hydroxytryptamine were largely relaxed by 20-HETE in a concentration-dependent manner (0.01–10 μM). Iberiotoxin pretreatments (10 nM) partially decreased 20-HETE-induced relaxations. However, 10 μM indomethacin and 3 μM SC-560 pretreatments significantly reduced the relaxations to 20-HETE in these tissues. The relaxing responses induced by the eicosanoid were likely related to a reduced Ca2+ sensitivity of the myofilaments since free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+])-response curves performed on β-escin-permeabilized cultured explants were shifted toward higher [Ca2+]. 20-HETE also abolished the tonic responses induced by phorbol-ester-dibutyrate (a PKC-sensitizing agent). Western blot analyses, using two specific primary antibodies against the PKC-potentiated inhibitory protein CPI-17 and its PKC-dependent phosphorylated isoform pCPI-17, confirmed that 20-HETE interferes with this intracellular process. We also investigated the effect of 20-HETE on the activation of Rho-kinase pathway-induced Ca2+ sensitivity. The data demonstrated that 20-HETE decreased U-46619-induced Ca2+ sensitivity on arteries. Hence, this observation was correlated with an increased staining of p116Rip, a RhoA-binding protein. Together, these results strongly suggest that the 20-hydroxyarachidonic acid derivative is a potent modulator of tone in HPAs in vitro.


2004 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 888-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasushi Mio ◽  
Norio Fukuda ◽  
Yoichiro Kusakari ◽  
Yoshikiyo Amaki ◽  
Yasumasa Tanifuji ◽  
...  

Background Recent evidence suggests that ropivacaine exerts markedly less cardiotoxicity compared with bupivacaine; however, the mechanisms are not fully understood at the molecular level. Methods Isolated ferret ventricular papillary muscles were microinjected with the Ca-binding photoprotein aequorin, and intracellular Ca transients and tension were simultaneously measured during twitch in the absence and presence of bupivacaine or ropivacaine. Results Bupivacaine and ropivacaine (10, 30, and 100 microm) reduced peak systolic [Ca]i and tension in a concentration-dependent manner. The effects were significantly greater for bupivacaine, particularly on tension (approximately twofold). The percentage reduction of tension was linearly correlated with that of [Ca]i for both anesthetics, with the slope of the relationship being approximately equal to 1.0 for ropivacaine and approximately equal to 1.3 for bupivacaine (slope difference, P &lt; 0.05), suggesting that the cardiodepressant effect of ropivacaine results predominantly from inhibition of Ca transients, whereas bupivacaine suppresses Ca transients and the reaction beyond Ca transients, i.e., myofibrillar activation, as well. BAY K 8644, a Ca channel opener, abolished the inhibitory effects of ropivacaine on Ca transients and tension, whereas BAY K 8644 only partially inhibited the effects of bupivacaine, particularly the effects on tension. Conclusion The cardiodepressant effect of bupivacaine is approximately twofold greater than that of ropivacaine. Bupivacaine suppresses Ca transients more markedly than does ropivacaine and reduces myofibrillar activation, which may at least in part underlie the greater inhibitory effect of bupivacaine on cardiac contractions. These results suggest that ropivacaine has a more favorable profile as a local anesthetic in the clinical settings.


1993 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 364-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Dandurand ◽  
C. G. Wang ◽  
N. C. Phillips ◽  
D. H. Eidelman

We used a modified adult lung explant technique to directly measure the area of individual airways before and after methacholine (MCh) administration. Lungs were removed from 12-wk-old male Lewis rats under sterile conditions, filled with an agarose-containing solution at 37 degrees C, and cooled to 4 degrees C. Transverse slices (0.5–1.0 mm thick) were cut and cultured overnight. Concentration-response curves to MCh were determined for explant airways from lungs inflated to 25, 50, 75, and 100% total lung capacity (TLC) with a 1.0% agarose solution and to 75% TLC with 0.5 and 2.0% agarose solutions. MCh was added to the medium to achieve final concentrations ranging from 10(-9) to 10(-2) M. Airways were imaged before and 10 min after each increase in MCh concentration with an inverted microscope and video camera, and airway area was determined by computerized image processing. The maximal response (MR) ([1-(minimal area/baseline area)] x 100) and concentration of MCh resulting in 50% MR (EC50) were determined. A total of 217 airways from 3–12 explants per rat constricted in a concentration-dependent manner. Baseline area was larger with both higher lung volumes and agarose concentrations. MR was greatest in the airways from the 25% TLC and 0.5% agarose explants. Although there was considerable heterogeneity toward MCh within rats (EC50 varied up to 5.46 x 10(5)-fold), the median EC50 was similar among all rats (range 1.96 x 10(-6)-5.87 x 10(-4) M). Lung inflation volume and agarose concentration affected baseline area and MR, suggesting that airway-parenchymal interdependence mechanisms are operative in this preparation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 880-887
Author(s):  
Enitome Evi Bafor ◽  
Lucky Osaro Okunrobo

This study investigated the effect on the uterus of the aqueous fraction of the partitioned methanol crude extract of the leaves of Anthocleista djalonensis (AD) and the possible mechanism of AD activity. AD inhibited the concentration–response curves induced by oxytocin and CaCl2 on the rat uterus in vitro and significantly reduced the EC50 in a concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.05). A similar effect was observed with salbutamol and verapamil on the concentration–response curves obtained for oxytocin and CaCl2. The inhibitory effect of AD was not attenuated in the presence of propranolol. AD, salbutamol, and verapamil also produced a concentration-dependent relaxation on K+-induced sustained uterine contraction. In Ca2+-free medium, AD and salbutamol similarly inhibited oxytocin-induced contraction, but verapamil failed to produce this effect. The present results suggest that AD, being a mixture of phytochemicals, probably exerts inhibitory activity on in vitro uterine contractions of the nonpregnant, diethylstilboestrol-treated rat by multiple mechanisms that do not involve interaction with β-adrenergic receptors and do not solely depend on inhibition of calcium influx.


2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (02) ◽  
pp. 309-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Li Gong ◽  
Lian-Hua Fang ◽  
Hai-Lin Qin ◽  
Yang Lv ◽  
Guan-Hua Du

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the vasorelaxant effects of coptisine and its possible mechanisms in isolated rat aortic rings. Coptisine was evaluated on isolated rat aortic rings precontracted with norepinephrine (NE) and KCl. The mechanisms were evaluated in the presence or absence of specific pharmacological inhibitors. Coptisine (1 ~ 200 μM) relaxed NE (1 μM) or KCl (60 mM) induced sustained contraction with pEC50 values of 4.49 ± 0.48 and 4.85 ± 0.57 in a concentration dependent manner. Pretreatment with coptisine (10, 50 or 100 μM) also inhibited concentration-response curves to NE and KCl. The vasorelaxant effect of coptisine was attenuated significantly by endothelium removal, and incubation with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 μM), methylene blue (10 μM) and indomethacin (5 μM) partially reduced the vasorelaxant effect of coptisine. In endothelium-denuded rings, the vasorelaxant effect of coptisine was reduced significantly by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 100 μM), but not glibenclamide (10 μM) ortetraethylammonium (TEA, 5 mM). Coptisine also reduced NE-induced transient contraction in Ca2+ -free solution, and inhibited contraction induced by increasing external calcium in Ca2+ -free medium plus 60 mM KCl. It was concluded that coptisine induced both endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation in rat aortic rings. The NO-cGMP mediated pathway may be involved in the endothelium-dependent relaxation and in the activation of voltage-dependent K+ channels, contributing in part to the endothelium-independent relaxation bycoptisine. Coptisine also blocks extracellular Ca2+ influx by interacting with both voltage- and receptor-operated Ca2+ channels.


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