Cardiovascular selectivity of 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, efonidipine (NZ-105), nicardipine and structure related compounds in isolated guinea-pig tissues

Application of Plackett-Burman and central composite designs for screening and optimization of factor influencing the chromatographic conditions of HPTLC method for quantification of efonidipine hydrochloride

We report here an analytical method for expeditious estimation of efonidipine hydrochloride in tablet formulation with statistical screening and optimization designs using NP-HPTLC. TLC silica gel 60 F254 aluminum plates and ethyl acetate to dichloromethane to triethylamine (3:2:0.5 v/v) were chosen for chromatographic separation of efonidipine hydrochloride. The Rf value for efonidipine hydrochloride turned out to be 0.35 ± 0.25 and quantitative evaluation was done at 251 nm. Plackett-Burman and face-centered central composite design (CCD) were used to obtain the most peak area and well-resolved compact band with an adequate retention factor of efonidipine hydrochloride. Plackett-Burman design at two-level with six independent variables has been employed for screening of prominent factors that affect the responses. The prominent factors have been selected and are optimized through face-centered CCD. The results obtained from face-centered CCD showed that most peak area can be obtained with development distance 8.50 cm and chamber saturation 17 min. Furthermore, the current NP-HPTLC investigation has been validated according to the ICH guidelines for accuracy, precision, sensitivity, robustness, ruggedness, and specificity. The detection and quantification limit was found that 10.41 ng and 31.57 ng, suggesting that the analysis could be accurately and precisely detected the analyte up to nanogram quantity. The current NP-HPTLC investigation is rugged, accurate, and highly sensitive and could be used for routine analysis of efonidipine hydrochloride.

Pathophysiological Significance of T-type Ca2+ Channels: T-type Ca2+ Channels and Drug Development

T-type Ca(2+) channels are present in cardiovascular, neuronal, and endocrine systems; and they are now receiving attention as novel therapeutic targets. Many drugs and compounds non-specificaly block T-type Ca(2+) channels. Certain dihydropyridine compounds, such as efonidipine, have blocking activity on both L-type and T-type Ca(2+) channels which possibly underlies their excellent clinical profiles such as minimum reflex tachycardia and renal protection. Selective inhibitors of T-type Ca(2+) channels, such as non-hydrolyzable mibefradil and R(-)-efonidipine, are powerful pharmacological tools for further studies and may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Efonidipine hydrochloride: a dual blocker of L- and T-type ca(2+) channels

T-type Ca(2+) channels have properties different from those of the L-type and are involved in cardiac pacemaking and regulation of blood flow, but not in myocardial contraction. Efonidipine is an antihypertensive and antianginal drug with dihydropyridine structure that was recently found to block both L- and T-type Ca(2+) channels. In isolated myocardial and vascular preparations, efonidipine has potent negative chronotropic and vasodilator effects but only a weak negative inotropic effect. In experimental animals and patients, reduction of blood pressure by the drug was accompanied by no or minimum reflex tachycardia leading to improvement of myocardial oxygen balance and maintenance of cardiac output. Efonidipine increased glomerular filtration rate without increasing intraglomerular pressure. By relaxing both the afferent and efferent arterioles, efonidipine markedly reduced proteinuria. Thus, efonidipine, an L- and T-type dual Ca(2+) channel blocker, appears to have an ideal profile as an antihypertensive and antianginal drug with organ-protective effects in the heart and kidney.

Possible requirement of phosphonate moiety for efonidipine effects on the sino-atrial node action potential

The effects of efonidipine, a 1,4-dihydropyridine phosphonate, and structurally related compounds on rabbit sino-atrial node action potential were examined with microelectrodes. 3NIC5NZ has a phosphonate moiety identical to that of efonidipine at the C5 position of the dihydropyridine ring and a side chain identical to nicardipine at C3, while 3NZ5NIC has C5 and C3 side chains identical to nicardipine and efonidipine, respectively. All four compounds decreased the slope and prolonged the early and late phases of pacemaker depolarization. The selectivity for the late phase against the early phase was in the order of efonidipine > 3NIC5NZ >> nicardipine > 3NZ5NIC. Thus, the phosphonate moiety at C5 position of the may be important for the characteristic prolongation of the late phase pacemaker depolarization by efonidipine.

Inhibition of myocardial L- and T-type Ca2+ currents by efonidipine: possible mechanism for its chronotropic effect

Effects of efonidipine, a dihydropyridine phosphonate Ca2+ channel antagonist, on the guinea-pig heart were compared with those of nifedipine. In the sino-atrial node, 1 microM efonidipine produced increase in cycle length accompanied by prolongation of the phase 4 depolarization which was not prominent with 0.1 microM nifedipine. In ventricular myocytes, both efonidipine and nifedipine produced inhibition of the L-type Ca2+ current, nifedipine being tenfold more potent than efonidipine. Efonidipine also inhibited the T-type Ca2+ current at higher concentrations but nifedipine did not. Both Ca2+ channel antagonists had no or only a weak effect on K+ currents. In addition, 40 microM Ni2+, which selectively inhibited the T-type Ca2+ current, had no effect on myocardial Ca2+ transients and contractile force. In conclusion, efonidipine was shown to have inhibitory effects on both L- and T-type Ca2+ currents, which may contribute to its high negative chronotropic potency.

Effects of Ca2+ channel antagonists on sinus node: prolongation of late phase 4 depolarization by efonidipine

Effects of various Ca2+ channel antagonists on the action potential configuration of rabbit sino-atrial node tissue were examined with standard microelectrode techniques. All Ca2+ channel antagonists decreased the maximum rate of phase 0 depolarization (Vmax) and increased the cycle length. The potency order to increase the cycle length was nisoldipine = verapamil > nifedipine = clentiazem > efonidipine > diltiazem. The potency order to decrease Vmax and to shift the threshold potential to a positive direction was the same as that to increase the cycle length, indicating that the major mechanism of negative chronotropism was inhibition of the L-type Ca2+ current. All Ca2+ channel antagonists except efonidipine shifted the maximum diastolic potential to the positive direction, decreased the action potential amplitude and prolonged the action potential duration. The effects of nifedipine were slightly weaker than those of other drugs when compared at equally bradycardiac concentrations. These differences may reflect differences in drug effects on currents other than the L-type Ca2+ current. A characteristic feature of efonidipine was selective suppression of the later phase of pacemaker depolarization with no effect on action potential amplitude and duration. Similar suppression of the later phase was observed with 50 microM Ni2+, which is reported to inhibit the T-type, but not L-type, Ca2+ current. Thus, efonidipine appears to suppress selectively the later phase of pacemaker depolarization through inhibition of both L- and T-type Ca2+ currents, which may be the underlying mechanism for its reported potent negative chronotropic but weak inotropic activity.

Effect of efonidipine, a novel dihydropyridine derivative, on myocardial metabolic changes induced by coronary artery ligation in dogs: comparison with nifedipine

Efonidipine is a dihydropyridine derivative having a vasodilating action, which is slower in onset and longer in duration than that of nifedipine. In the present study, we compared the effects of efonidipine with those of nifedipine on the ischemic myocardial metabolism in anesthetized dogs. The heart was made ischemic by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) completely for 3 or 30 min. Efonidipine or nifedipine was injected intravenously, 10 or 3 min, respectively, before the start of LAD occlusion. Efonidipine (0.01 or 0.03 mg/kg) decreased both blood pressure and heart rate, whereas nifedipine (0.003 mg/kg) decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate. The magnitude of decrease in mean blood pressure induced by 0.03 mg/kg efonidipine was similar to that induced by 0.003 mg/kg nifedipine. Although efonidipine did not modify the changes in myocardial carbohydrate metabolism induced by ischemia, it attenuated the ischemia-induced decrease in the myocardial level of adenosine triphosphate and energy charge potential. Nifedipine, however, did not modify the changes in both myocardial energy and carbohydrate metabolism induced by ischemia. The results suggest that efonidipine has a cardioprotective effect in the dog, probably because of its negative chronotropic effect.

Myocardial and vascular effects of efonidipine in vitro as compared with nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem

1. Effects of efonidipine on isolated myocardial and aortic preparations were compared with those of nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem. 2. All drugs produced concentration-dependent negative chronotropic effects on isolated guinea-pig atrial preparations. The potency order was efonidipine > or = nifedipine > diltiazem > or = verapamil, EC30 values being 3.08 x 10(-8)M, 3.48 x 10(-8)M, 1.27 x 10(-7)M and 1.47 x 10(-7)M, respectively. 3. Nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem produced concentration-dependent negative inotropic effects on isolated guinea-pig left atrial preparations. The potency order was nifedipine > verapamil > diltiazem, EC30 values being 4.94 x 10(-8)M, 1.49 x 10(-7)M and 8.03 x 10(-7)M, respectively. Efonidipine, even at 1 microM produced no inotropic effect: 10 microM efonidipine decreased the contractile force by about 20%. 4. All drugs concentration-dependently attenuated the KCl-induced contraction of isolated rat aortic ring preparation. The potency order was nifedipine > efonidipine > verapamil > diltiazem, EC30 values being 2.98 x 10(-9)M, 1.24 x 10(-8)M, 3.96 x 10(-8)M and 2.13 x 10(-7)M, respectively. 5. Thus, efonidipine was demonstrated to be a potent vasodilator with negative chronotropic but minimal negative inotropic activity, which may be of benefit in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders.