Journal
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS
Volume 328, Issue 2, Pages 621-627Publisher
AMER SOC PHARMACOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS
DOI: 10.1124/jpet.108.145672
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- NINDS NIH HHS [NS038691] Funding Source: Medline
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Antihypertensive drugs of the calcium channel blocker or calcium antagonist class have been used to establish the physiological role of L-type Ca2+ channels in vascular smooth muscle. In contrast, there has been limited progress on the pharmacology T-type Ca2+ channels. T-type channels play a role in cardiac pacemaking, aldosterone secretion, and renal hemodynamics, leading to the hypothesis that mixed T- and L-type blockers may have therapeutic advantages over selective L-type blockers. The goal of this study was to identify compounds that block the Ca(v)3.2 T-type channel with high affinity, focusing on two classes of compounds: phenylalkylamines (e.g., mibefradil) and dihydropyridines (e.g., efonidipine). Compounds were tested using a validated Ca2+ influx assay into a cell line expressing recombinant Ca(v)3.2 channels. This study identified four clinically approved antihypertensive drugs (efonidipine, felodipine, isradipine, and nitrendipine) as potent T-channel blockers (IC50 < 3 mu M). In contrast, other widely prescribed dihydropyridines, such as amlodipine and nifedipine, were 10-fold less potent, making them a more appropriate choice in research studies on the role of L-type currents. In summary, the present results support the notion that many available antihypertensive drugs block a substantial fraction of T-current at therapeutically relevant concentrations, contributing to their mechanism of action.
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