The influence of 3-ester side chain variation on the cardiovascular profile of nitrendipine in porcine isolated trabeculae and coronary arteries

Summary It has been reported that the lipophilicity of dihydropyridine-type calcium entry blockers may influence both their negative inotropic and their vasodilator activities. The action of nitrendipine and six related 3-ester side-chain derivatives with increasing alkyl and aryl substituents have been investigated in isolated porcine trabecular muscles and coronary artery rings. The lipophilicity of the drugs was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. In addition, some sterical parameters of the ester derivatives were considered. For the drugs tested, an increase in 3-ester side chain volume correlated well with increasing lipophilicity. Compared to nitrendipine, vascular selectivity of the ester side-chain derivatives, as expressed by the ratio of their negative inotropic and vasodilator activities, was much reduced. Neither vasodilator nor negative inotropic activity was directly related to the corresponding lipophilicity. Based on these results, earlier suggestions about the influence of the ester side-chain in dihydropyridines on their cardiovascular profile are extended. Send offprint requests to U. Fricke at the above address     

Local anaesthetic activity of organic calcium antagonists: relevance to their actions on smooth muscle

Local anaesthetic activity was measured on the rat phrenic nerve at 37 degrees C: Verapamil HCl had 5.1X and methoxyverapamil HCl had 3.0X the potency of lidocaine. Flunarizine was about equipotent with lidocaine, while nifedipine, diazoxide and sodium nitroprusside were without effect. It is concluded tht the smooth muscle inhibitory actions of the calcium antagonists, even when used in concentrations possessing local anaesthetic activity, are due to a reduction in Ca2+ permeability. In rat isolated vasa deferentia, lidocaine had both stimulant and inhibitory actions. On its own it induced rhythmic contractions (not blocked by phentolamine) and it also augmented the frequency of rhythmic contractions produced by methoxamine or barium. These actions may be due to block of K+ channels. Lidocaine also reduced the amplitude of methoxamine and barium induced contractions and both phases of the KCl contraction. The KCl response was restored by increasing "Ca2+]0, and it is therefore concluded that lidocaine was acting by blockade of Ca2+ channels.     

Cardiovascular effects of isorhamnetin and quercetin in isolated rat and porcine vascular smooth muscle and isolated rat atria

Isorhamnetin and quercetin produced endothelium-independent vasodilator effects in rat aorta, rat mesenteric arteries, rat portal vein and porcine coronary arteries. The effects of the two flavonoids were similar in arteries stimulated by noradrenaline, KCl, U46619 or phorbol esters but the two flavonoids were more potent in the coronary arteries than in the aorta. At high concentrations, they also induced a positive inotropic effect in isolated rat atria. Therefore, at least part of the in vivo effects of quercetin may result from its conversion to isorhamnetin which is the main metabolite of quercetin found in plasma. The arterial, venous and coronary vasodilator effects may contribute to the protective effects of flavonoids in ischaemic heart disease observed in epidemiological studies.     

Store-operated calcium entry in vascular smooth muscle

In non-excitable cells, activation of G-protein-coupled phospholipase C (PLC)-linked receptors causes the release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores, which is followed by transmembrane Ca(2+) entry. This Ca(2+) entry underlies a small and sustained phase of the cellular [Ca(2+)](i) increases and is important for several cellular functions including gene expression, secretion and cell proliferation. This form of transmembrane Ca(2+) entry is supported by agonist-activated Ca(2+)-permeable ion channels that are activated by store depletion and is referred to as store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) and represents a major pathway for agonist-induced Ca(2+) entry. In excitable cells such as smooth muscle cells, Ca(2+) entry mechanisms responsible for sustained cellular activation are normally considered to be mediated via either voltage-operated or receptor-operated Ca(2+) channels. Although SOCE occurs following agonist activation of smooth muscle, this was thought to be more important in replenishing Ca(2+) stores rather than acting as a source of activator Ca(2+) for the contractile process. This review summarizes our current knowledge of SOCE as a regulator of vascular smooth muscle tone and discusses its possible role in the cardiovascular function and disease. We propose a possible hypothesis for its activation and suggest that SOCE may represent a novel target for pharmacological therapeutic intervention.     

Agonist-evoked calcium entry in vascular smooth muscle cells requires IP3 receptor-mediated activation of TRPC1

Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) proteins have been proposed to function as plasma membrane Ca2+ channels activated by store depletion and/or by receptor stimulation. However, their role in the increase in cytosolic Ca2+ activated by contractile agonists in vascular smooth muscle is not yet elucidated. The present study was designed to investigate the functional and molecular properties of the Ca2+ entry pathway activated by endothelin-1 in primary cultured aortic smooth muscle cells. Measurement of the Ca2+ signal in fura-2-loaded cells allowed to characterize endothelin-1-evoked Ca2+ entry, which was resistant to dihydropyridine, and was blocked by 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate (2-APB) and micromolar concentration of Gd3+. It was not activated by store depletion, but was inhibited by the endothelin ETA receptor antagonist BQ-123, and by heparin. On the opposite, thapsigargin-induced store depletion activated a Ca2+ entry pathway that was not affected by 2-APB, BQ-123 or heparin, and was less sensitive to Gd3+ than was endothelin-1-evoked Ca2+ entry. Investigation of the gene expression of TRPC isoforms by real-time RT-PCR revealed that TRPC1 was the most abundant. In cells transfected with TRPC1 small interfering RNA sequence, TRPC1 mRNA and protein expression were decreased by 72+/-3% and 86+/-2%, respectively, while TRPC6 expression was unaffected. In TRPC1 knockdown cells, both endothelin-1-evoked Ca2+ entry and store-operated Ca2+ entry evoked by thapsigargin were blunted. These results indicate that in aortic smooth muscle cells, TRPC1 is not only involved in Ca2+ entry activated by store depletion but also in receptor-operated Ca2+ entry, which requires inositol (1,4,5) triphosphate receptor activation.     

Alternative splicing modulates diltiazem sensitivity of cardiac and vascular smooth muscle Cav1.2 calcium channels

Background and purpose:

As a calcium channel blocker, diltiazem acts mainly on the voltage-gated calcium channels, Ca_v1.2, for its beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, angina and/or supraventricular arrhythmias. However, the effects of diltiazem on different isoforms of Ca_v1.2 channels expressed in heart and vascular smooth muscles remain to be investigated. Here, we characterized the effects of diltiazem on the splice variants of Ca_v1.2 channels, predominant in cardiac and vascular smooth muscles.

Experimental approach:

Cardiac and smooth muscle isoforms of Ca_v1.2 channels were expressed in human embryonic kidney cells and their electrophysiological properties were characterized using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques.

Key results:

Under closed-channel and use-dependent block (0.03 Hz), cardiac splice variant Ca_v1.2CM was less sensitive to diltiazem than two major smooth muscle splice variants, Ca_v1.2SM and Ca_v1.2b. Ca_v1.2CM has a more positive half-inactivation potential than the smooth muscle channels, and diltiazem shifted it less to negative potential. Additionally, the current decay was slower in Ca_v1.2CM channels. When we modified alternatively spliced exons of cardiac Ca_v1.2CM channels into smooth muscle exons, we found that all three loci contribute to the different diltiazem sensitivity between cardiac and smooth muscle splice isoforms.

Conclusions and implications:

Alternative splicing of Ca_v1.2 channels modifies diltiazem sensitivity in the heart and blood vessels. Gating properties altered by diltiazem are different in the three channels.     

Effects of ionophores A23187 and X537A on vascular smooth muscle activity.

The ionophore A23187 initiated contractions in both dog coronary artery and rabbit aortic strips in a dose-dependent manner whereas X537A contracted rabbit aortic strips and relaxed KCl-induced contractions in dog coronary artery. Diphenylhydantoin (DPH) and verapamil ccompletely abolished KCl-induced responses in both vascular tissues. DPH (10(-4) M) partially prevented A23187-induced responses in both tissues and verapamil (33 micrometer) partially prevented A23187-induced responses in dog coronary artery but not in rabbit aorta. Phenoxybenzamine (10(-5) M), but not practolol, significantly reduced X537A-induced contractions in rabbit aortic strips but did not affect A23187-induced contractions in either tissue. The inability of DPH and verapamil to completely block the A23187 contractions leads one to conclude that these agents do not completely block calcium influx, or that A23187 does not work solely by increasing the permeability of the cell membrane to calcium. The effect of X537A on rabbit aorta, however, may be mediated at least partially, via release of catecholamines.     

Tissue selectivity of the novel calcium antagonist sesamodil fumarate in isolated smooth muscles and cardiac muscles

The effects of the novel Ca2+ antagonist sesamodil fumarate (JAN), (+)-3,4-dihydro-2-[5-methoxy-2-[3-[N-methyl-N-[2-[(3,4- methylenedioxy)phenoxy]ethyl]amino]propoxy]phenyl]-4-methyl-3-oxo-2H- 1,4-benzothiazine hydrogen fumarate (SD-3211), on isolated smooth muscles and cardiac muscles were investigated and compared with those of diltiazem, verapamil, nifedipine and nicardipine. Ca2+ antagonistic activity of SD-3211 (pA2 = 8.42) was more potent than that of diltiazem and verapamil, but less potent than that of nifedipine and nicardipine in isolated pig coronary artery. The inhibition of Ca2(+)-induced contraction by SD-3211 was not reversed by drug washout, whereas that by diltiazem was easily reversed by drug washout. SD-3211 produced a concentration-dependent relaxation (EC50 = 5.7 x 10(-8) mol/l) of KCl-contracted pig coronary artery. The order of potency of the various compounds correlated with their respective Ca2+ antagonistic activities. SD-3211 antagonized KCl-induced contraction, but not that induced by A23187, in the rabbit aorta. On the other hand, negative inotropic and chronotropic effects of SD-3211 on the guinea pig right atria approximated those of diltiazem and verapamil. These results suggest that SD-3211 exerts a potent and long-lasting Ca2+ antagonistic effect on isolated arteries, possessing pharmacological properties diverse from those of known Ca2+ antagonists with respect to tissue selectivity, i.e., it is more vasoselective than diltiazem and verapamil, and more cardioselective than nifedipine and nicardipine.     

Stereoisomers of calcium antagonists discriminate between coronary vascular and myocardial sites

Summary In the retrogradely perfused, paced rat heart, we studied the effects of the stereoisomers of verapamil (VER), gallopamil (GAL), devapamil (DEV) and bepridil (BEP) on the coronary flow and the maximum systolic left ventricular pressure (MSLVP). In addition, the time courses of onset and recovery of these effects were measured. The verapamil analogues showed high stereoselectivity factors (sf) for MSLVP depression in favour of the (–)-enantiomers and low sf's for coronary flow increase. Bepridil showed a low sf for both parameters with the (+)-enantiomer being more potent. In a previous study we found that in the rat heart, dihydropyridine calcium antagonists clearly possess high selectivity for the vascular isochannel site as compared to the myocardial site, whereas racemic verapamil derivatives were devoid of such selectivity. In the present study the (+)-enantiomers of all verapamil congeners revealed a marked vasoselectivity. This was not found for the (–)-isomers, which surprisingly were virtually equipotent for MSLV depression and coronary flow increase, suggesting a different voltage dependence of the two isochannel verapamil sites for the enantiomers of verapamil and its congeners. Onset and offset velocities were clearly different as well. The kinetics of coronary flow increase were identical and fast for all enantiomers studied. MSLV kinetics were slower. In particular the recovery was markedly different for the enantiomers of each drug, the more potent isomer having the lower velocity. Furthermore, the differences in recovery of MSLVP depression between the verapamil type enantiomers suggest that the recovery rate may directly reflect dissociation from the myocardial isochannel verapamil site. Send offprint requests to F. T. M. van Amsterdam     

Monoamine oxidase activities of porcine vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells

Amine uptake by cultured vascular cells was studied under conditions minimizing nonenzymic oxidation. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5HT) was accumulated only very poorly; detailed kinetic analysis couid not be performed, but there was no evidence for a saturable high affinity process. Comparison of β-phenylethylamine (PEA) and 5HT metabolism in intact cells and lysed cells demonstrated that the rates of entry of the amines into cells usually limited their metabolism especially at low (μM) concentrations. Primary cultures of aortic endothelial cells metabolised 5HT and PEA substantially faster than did subcultured endothelium. Subcultured aortic vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells metabolised PEA and 5HT with comparable specific enzyme activities to those found in aortic medial tissue. Inhibition by clorgyline of PEA, 5HT and benzylamine (BZA) metabolism reveaied, however, that while aortic tissue possessed monoamine oxidase (MAO) types A and B and a comparable amount of a clorgyline resistant amine oxidase(s) (CRAO), cultured vascular cells possessed MAO-A, but little or no CRAO or MAO-B. Cultured venous endothelium, and smooth muscle from several vascular sites, metabolised PEA and 5HT at similar rates to those found in aortic cells. the studies demonstrate that although cultured porcine endothelial and smooth muscle cells from large blood vessels contain MAO, they do not apparently possess the amine transport process present in the lung. Additionally, conditions of culture can affect both the extent of amine metabolism and the pattern of amine oxidase present.     

Action of indapamide on excitation-contraction coupling in vascular smooth muscle.

The effects of indapamide on electrophysiological and mechanical parameters of longitudinal smooth muscle strips isolated from mammalian portal vein were studied by means of a double sucrose gap method associated with a photoelectric device for recording contraction. Indapamide (10(-4) M) reduced both the amplitude of the action potential and the contraction. The calcium inward current decreased and consequently the phasic contraction was also reduced. The potassium outward current was diminished while the tonic contraction was not modified significantly. The depressant nature of the indapamide response could counterbalance the stimulating action of angiotensin II but not that of noradrenaline. The results suggest that indapamide acts primarily on the plasma membrane of vascular smooth muscle by reducing the transmembrane calcium current, although a secondary decrease in the intracellular bound calcium could not be completely excluded.     

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibition and vascular smooth muscle relaxation

The inhibitory effects of theophylline, papaverine and isoquinoleine derivatives and the activating action of imidazole were compared on purified 3′,5′-cylcic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and on isolated rat aorta. A quantitative correlation was found between inhibition of the enzyme activity (K_i) and prevention of isolated rat aorta contractions elicited by barium.     

The novel cardioprotective agent BMS-180448 activates a potassium conductance in cardiac and vascular smooth muscle

The goal of the present study was to further characterize the effects of the novel cardioprotective agent BMS-180448 on potassium fluxes in cardiac and vascular smooth muscle. Exposure of voltage-clamped guinea pig ventricular myocytes to BMS-180448 (300 M) produced an inhibition of IK followed by the delayed (5.5 ± 0.5 min) activation of a large time-independent potassium current. At 100 M, BMS-180448 produced only inhibition of I_K. The BMS-180448 activated current was refractory to block by 30 M, glyburide but was largely inhibited by 100 M alinidine (84 ± 6% inhibition at + 40 mV). Cromakalim (100 M)-activated currents were fully inhibited by 3 M, glyburide and 79 ± 4% blocked by 100 M alinidine. The current responses to BMS-180448 were unaffected by the inclusion of 10 mM UDP (100 M, ATP) in the pipette. BMS-180448 also produced a concentrationdependent increase in ⁸⁶Rb efflux from aortic strips; efflux responses were increased in low calcium medium and fully antagonized by 3 M, glyburide. Thus, BMS-180448 activates a potassium conductance in both cardiac and smooth muscle. The glyburide sensitivity of the BMS-180448-induced increase in ⁸⁶Rb efflux from the aortic preparations suggests that this drug activates I_KATP in vascular smooth muscle. Moreover, the observation that BMS-180448 (100 M) partially inhibits the effects of cromakalim in ventricular muscle cells suggests that these drugs interact, directly or indirectly, with a common site in cardiac muscle.     

Effects of novel pyridothiazepines and pyridothiazines on contractility of isolated guinea-pig heart muscle and vascular smooth muscle preparations.

The effects of newly synthesized pyridothiazepines MM 4 (1-[N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)ethyl]-N-methylaminoacetyl]-1,2,3,4 -tetrahydro-pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]thiazepine fumarate), MM 6 (1-[N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-ethyl]-N-methylaminopropionyl]-1,2, 3,4-tetrahydro-pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]thiazepine fumarate) and the novel pyridothiazines MM 10 (2,3-dihydro-1-[N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-N-methylaminoacetyl+ ++]-1H-pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]thiazine fumarate) and MM 11 (2,3-dihydro-1-[N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)ethyl]-N-methylaminopropio nyl]-1H-pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]thiazine fumarate) on the contractility of isolated papillary muscles and aortic preparations of guinea pigs were studied using isometric contraction force measurements. The EC50 values for the negative inotropic effect were 27 micromol/l (MM 4), 19 micromol/l (MM 6), 32 micromol/l (MM 10) and 24 micromol/l (MM 11). In K+-precontracted aortic rings ([K+]o 60 mmol/l), the compounds induced relaxation with EC50 values of 27 micromol/l (MM 4), 24 micromol/l (MM 6), 84 micromol/l (MM 10) and 68 micromol/l (MM 11). Pyridothiazepines as well as pyridothiazines (100 micromol/l) were able to depress norepinephrine bitartrate (NE 10 micromol/l)-induced contraction of aortic rings in a calcium-free solution. It was concluded that the investigated compounds exert calcium antagonistic properties in both cardiac and smooth muscle. This antagonistic effect might be due to the inhibition of transmembrane calcium influx and/or intracellular calcium release.     

Mechanism of action of calcium antagonists on myocardial and smooth muscle membranes

Although calcium channel blockers vary considerably in their chemical structure and pharmacologic profile, the widely accepted mechanism of their action is an inhibition of Ca2+ influx - via voltage-activated slow channels - into smooth and cardiac muscle. Other ways of Ca2+ entry, such as passive diffusion and Na+/Ca2+ and K+/Ca2+ exchange, are not affected by these compounds. However, various blockers exert a slightly different inhibitory action on the slow channels, which indicates that various binding sites in the cell membranes, or even in intracellular sites, may be involved. Potential sites of action of calcium channel blockers in the myocardium include: the slow calcium channels; Na+/Ca2+ channels; mitochondria; sarcoplasmic reticulum; myofilaments; and calcium efflux. However, experimental evidence has been given for only the first site, and the third and fourth sites are still controversial. In the vascular smooth muscles, calcium channel blockers could possibly block the potential-dependent or receptor-operated channels, or bind to calmodulin. Again, only the first site of action has been experimentally proven. An important feature of calcium channel blockers is their different affinities for various tissues. For instance, cinnarizine and its difluorinated derivative flunarizine are 1000 times more effective in blocking slow channels in vascular smooth muscles than those in the myocardium. Even within the same system, such as the cardiovascular system, differences in tissue specificity are encountered. Thus, while nimodipine acts preferentially on cerebral vessels, diltiazem has more affinity for the coronary vasculature. Tissue specificity is exhibited even for different myocardial structures; thus, while verapamil affects the nodal and conductive tissues in the myocardium (hence its use as an antiarrhythmic agent), nifedipine is almost devoid of such activity. Organ selectivity of calcium channel blockers is one of the attractive features of this group of compounds; hence their use in a variety of cardiovascular conditions.     

雷公藤甲素对兔血管平滑肌细胞增生和凋亡的影响

目的：研究雷公藤甲素（TP）是否具有抑制血管平滑肌细胞（VSMCs）增殖并诱导其发生凋亡的作用,为临床开发新型药物洗脱支架提供实验依据。方法：体外主动脉SMCs培养和流式细胞仪检测,DNA凝胶电泳。结果：TP组与空白对照组及地塞米松组相比,凋亡率有显著提高;TP干预组凝胶电泳谱型呈凋亡特征性梯状条带。结论：TP可抑制指数生长期SMCs增殖并诱导其凋亡。