Effects of the antianginal drug fendiline on Ca2+ movement in hepatoma cells.

This study investigated the effect of the anti-anginal drug, fendiline, on intracellular free Ca2+ levels (Ca2+]i) in HA/ 22 human hepatoma cells by using fura-2 as a fluorescent Ca2+ dye. Fendiline (1-100 microM) increased Ca2+]i with an EC50 of 25 microM. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ reduced the Ca2+]i signals by 51 +/- 5%. Fendiline (10 microM)-induced Ca2+ release was abolished by pretreatment with 1 microM thapsigargin (an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump inhibitor). Inhibition of phospholipase C with 2 microM 1-(6-((17beta-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl)amino)hexyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U73122) did not alter 10 microM fendiline-induced Ca2+ release. Several other calmodulin antagonists, such as phenoxybenzamine (100-200 microM), trifluoperazine (5-50 microM), and fluphenazine-N-chloroethane (2-100 microM), had no effect on Ca2+]i. Together, it was found that fendiline increased Ca2+]i in human hepatoma cells by discharging Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum in an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-independent manner and by inducing Ca2+ entry. This effect of fendiline does not appear to be via antagonism of calmodulin.