Inhibition by verapamil of contractions produced by calcium on depolarized rabbit aortic strips

Differentiation of calcium antagonists with respect to their effects in normal and skinned taenia caeci preparations

In taenia preparations, depolarized by a K+-rich medium, Ca2+ caused contraction and cinnarizine (0.4-100 microM), trifluoperazine (2-100 microM) and verapamil (0.02-10 microM) caused concentration-dependent antagonism of Ca2+, displacing the Ca2+ log concentration-effect curve to the right and depressing the maximal response. Equieffective (IC75) antispasmogenic concentrations were selected. The antispasmogenic effects of verapamil were readily offset by removing the drug from the bathing fluid but those of the other drugs were not. The calcium antagonists (antispasmogenic IC75) were then tested for spasmolytic activity in tissues generating tension in response to the EC80 of Ca2+. Verapamil was more effective in producing spasmolysis than cinnarazine or trifluoperazine. In skinned taenia preparations, verapamil (100 microM) did not inhibit Ca2+-induced contractions. High concentrations of cinnarizine (100 microM) and trifluoperazine (100 microM) inhibited Ca2+-induced activation of the contractile proteins. However, antispasmogenic IC75s from intact taenia were not able to produce this effect on skinned preparations. It is concluded that there are differences between calcium antagonists. The action of verapamil on intact taenia is mainly exerted on the plasma membrane. Cinnarizine and trifluoperazine act both on the plasma membrane and upon the intracellular contractile machinery.

Pharmacological characterization of the effects of verapamil and nifedipine on isolated guinea-pig lung parenchymal strip

Verapamil and nifedipine elicited dose-related relaxations and produced a right downward shift of the concentration-response curves to CaCl2, KCl, acetylcholine and histamine in the isolated guinea-pig lung parenchymal strip. These Ca-entry blockers had greater inhibitory effects on contractions evoked by CaCl2 and KCl than against those elicited by acetylcholine and histamine.

Antagonism of Ca2+ and other actions of verapamil in guinea-pig isolated trachealis

In trachealis bathed by a K+-rich, Ca2+-free physiological salt solution, calcium chloride (CaCl2) at 0.01 to 10 mmol l-1 evoked concentration-dependent spasm. Verapamil (0.1 to 10 mumol l-1) was an effective antagonist of CaCl2. Spasm evoked by acetylcholine, histamine, potassium chloride (KCl) and tetraethylammonium (TEA) was studied in trachealis bathed by normal Krebs solution. Verapamil (0.1 to 10 mumol l-1) markedly suppressed spasm evoked by KCl and TEA. In contrast the actions of acetylcholine and histamine were much less affected by verapamil. Spasm evoked by prostaglandin E2 was studied in trachealis bathed by Krebs solution containing indomethacin (2.8 mumol l-1). Verapamil (0.1 to 10 mumol l-1) had little or no effect against prostaglandin E2-induced spasm. Verapamil (0.1 to 10 mumol l-1) had relatively little effect on the tone of trachealis bathed by normal Krebs solution. In contrast bathing in Krebs solution lacking CaCl2 caused almost complete tone loss. Extracellular electrophysiological recording showed that verapamil (10 mumol l-1) suppressed not only TEA-evoked spasm but also TEA-evoked slow waves and spike potentials. Verapamil also abolished the transient period of slow wave activity associated with the spasm evoked by KCl. Intracellular electrophysiological recording showed that TEA-induced spike activity was resistant to tetrodotoxin (3 mumol l-1). However, verapamil (10 mumol l-1) abolished the tetrodotoxin-resistant spikes without increasing the resting membrane potential. It is concluded that verapamil suppresses TEA- or KCl-induced spasm, slow waves or spikes by inhibition of Ca2+ influx. Spasm evoked by acetylcholine, histamine and prostaglandin E2 depends on mechanisms for increasing the cytoplasmic concentration of free Ca2+ which are resistant to verapamil. The failure of verapamil markedly to depress tissue tone is consistent with the proposal that tone results from the activity of endogenous prostaglandins.

Leukotriene effect in airways smooth muscle: calcium dependency and verapamil inhibition

The extracellular calcium (Ca++) E dependency of the synthetic leukotrienes (LT) C4, D4 and E4 and inhibition of LTC4 by verapamil was demonstrated on guinea pig trachealis in vitro. LTC4 exhibited an intrinsic potency 170 X greater than histamine. Tension development by LTC4, D4 and E4 was equipotent at 2.5 mM (Ca++)E. Tension studies in 0.5 mM (Ca++)E indicate these three leukotrienes to be (Ca++)E dependent with a potency ranking of LTC4 greater than LTD4 and LTE4 (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.001 respectively). Inhibition of LTC4 by verapamil yielded an IC50 of approximately 1.1 X 10(-4)M with complete inhibition at 2.2 X 10(-4)M; this antagonism was non-competitive. The specific dependency of verapamil inhibition of LTC4 to (Ca++)E was demonstrated by reversal of verapamil antagonism with 5.0 mM (Ca++)E. Synthetic leukotrienes C4, D4 and E4 are dependent upon (Ca++)E for their myotropic activity, an action non-competitively inhibited by the calcium channel blocker verapamil.

Avian shell gland contractility: interaction of PGF2 alpha and arginine vasotocin with Ca2+

The effects of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and arginine vasotocin (AVT) on the isometric contractile activity of avian shell gland longitudinal muscle strips were studied in relation to the role of extracellular Ca2+. PGF2 alpha and AVT stimulated contractile tension in a dose-related manner. This was attenuated when either of the Ca2+ channel blockers verapamil or R33956 was added to the muscle chamber baths. Ca2+-free solution containing 1 mM ethyleneglycol-bis (beta-aminoethylether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid completely prevented contraction in response to increasing doses of PGF2 alpha or AVT. Washing of the strips with Ca2+-free solution eliminated spontaneous contractile activity, but replenishment of CaCl2 to the medium (0.1-5.0 mM) restored it. Addition of PGF2 alpha to the Ca2+-free medium enhanced contractile tension during Ca2+ replenishment, whereas AVT had no effect on tension generation at low extracellular Ca2+ concentration (0.1-0.5 mM) but increased it at higher extracellular Ca2+ concentration (1.0-5.0 mM). PGF2 alpha stimulation was sensitive to extracellular Na+ concentration, whereas AVT-induced activity was not. Potassium depolarization (20 mM K) potentiated PGF2 alpha-stimulated activity, whereas the response to AVT was unaffected. At 127.5 mM K, AVT-stimulated activity was inhibited. PGF2 alpha-enhanced Ca2+-dependent tension generation was right shifted in a dose-related manner by AVT. These results suggest that extracellular Ca2+ is necessary for the full expression of PGF2 alpha- and AVT-stimulated muscle contraction and suggest that each agonist has a different mechanism of action.

Comparative effects of bepridil and verapamil on isolated coronary and systemic vascular and cardiac muscle

The relaxant effects of the antianginal agent bepridil, a drug with calcium antagonistic actions, and verapamil on isolated pig coronary (C) and rabbit aortic (A) smooth muscle were compared. Both drugs competitively antagonised calcium in Tris buffered but not in bicarbonate buffered medium. Both agents relaxed K+-depolarised C and inhibited contractile responses to noradrenaline plus anoxia. Bepridil was approximately 10 fold less potent than verapamil. The two drugs exerted similar calcium antagonistic effects in guinea pig papillary muscle but showed dissimilar profiles in atrial muscle in that responses in the presence of bepridil appeared to be frequency dependent. It is concluded that bepridil inhibits responses to anoxia and competitively antagonises calcium in vascular smooth muscle. On atrial tissue, bepridil, unlike verapamil, appears to exert additional actions possibly involving other ion channels.

Assessment of "Ca2+ -antagonist" effects of drugs in K+ -depolarized smooth muscle. Differentiation of antagonist subgroups

1. Taenia preparations from the guinea-pig caecum yielded reproducible concentration-response curves to Ca2+ (EC50 134 +/- 8 mumol/1) when maintained in depolarizing Tyrode solution containing K+ (40 mmol/1). Drugs which are claimed to be "Ca2+ -antagonists" displaced the curves to the right without depression of the maximum response. In this test nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem, pimozide, cinnarizine, flunarizine and fendiline appeared qualitatively similar but had different potencies. 2. The antagonist effects of nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem were readily reversed by washout of the drugs from the bathing fluid, but the effects of the other drugs were not. 3. Cinnarizine, flunarizine, pimozide and fendiline were only weakly active as relaxants of Ca2+ (100 mumol/1)-induced contractions, when compared with their antagonist activity when applied initially in Ca2+ -free media. As the presence of Ca2+ (100 mumol/1) in the K+ -Tyrode reduced the antagonist effects of cinnarizine and pimozide, but not that of verapamil and diltiazem, the weak activity of some of the antagonists as relaxants of Ca2+ -induced contractions can be attributed to a protective effect of Ca2+ during the incubation period with the antagonist. 4. The problems associated with the assessment of the potency of drugs as "Ca2+ -antagonists" are discussed and it is proposed that three subgroups of drugs may exist within the overall classification.