Effects of calcium channel antagonists on action potential conduction and transmitter release in the guinea-pig vas deferens

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Abstract
1 The effects of the Ca2+ channel antagonists amlodipine, cobalt, diltiazem, nifedipine and verapamil and the local anaesthetic lignocaine were investigated on action potential conduction in and on evoked transmitter release from sympathetic nerves in the guinea-pig isolated vas deferens. Transmitter release was investigated by measurement of (a) evoked (trains of pulses at 1 and 2 Hz, 0.1-0.5 ms supramaximal voltage) excitatory junction potentials (e.j.ps) using microelectrodes; tension was recorded simultaneously; (b) tritium (3H) overflow from vasa preincubated (37°C, 30 min) in Krebs solution containing either [3H]-noradrenaline (NA, 25 μCi ml−1, 2 × 10−6 M NA) or [3H]-adenosine (50 μCi ml−1, 1 × 10−6 M adenosine). 2 Amlodipine (0.5–2 × 10−4 M), verapamil (0.5-2 × 10−4 M), diltiazem (1–8 × 10−4 M), lignocaine (0.1–2 × 10−3 M) and cobalt (2–6 × 10−2 M) in descending order of potency, but not nifedipine (1–5 × 10−3 M), increased the latency and inhibited, then abolished, the amplitude and number of action potentials in a concentration-dependent manner. 3 Amlodipine (0.5–1 × 10−4 M), verapamil (1–2 × 10−4 M), diltiazem (1–5 × 10−4 M) and cobalt (1 × 10−3 M), in descending order of potency, but not nifedipine (5 × 10−4 M), inhibited then abolished evoked e.j.ps in a concentration-dependent manner. Cobalt inhibited e.j.ps at a lower concentration than that (2–6 × 10−2 M) required to block action potential conduction. 4 In unstimulated tissues, the resting 3H overflow following preincubation with [3H]-NA consisted largely of 4-hydroxy 3-methoxymandelic acid (VMA), 4-hydroxy 3-methoxy phenylglycol (MOPEG), 3,4 dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG) and NA; stimulated tissues (300 pulses at 20 Hz, 0.5 ms supramaximal voltage) released mainly NA. Verapamil (0.1–1 × 10−4 M), amlodipine (0.05–1 × 10−4 M) and nifedipine (1–5 × 10−4 M), but not cobalt (2 × 10−3 M), increased, significantly, the resting overflow of 3H comprising mainly DOPEG. Cobalt (2 × 10−3 M) inhibited, significantly, the stimulation-evoked overflow of 3H. 5 Verapamil (1 × 10−4 M) had little effect on the resting overflow of 3H following preincubation with [3H]-adenosine. Diltiazem (5 × 10−4 M) and cobalt (2 × 10−3 M) both inhibited evoked 3H overflow. Nifedipine (5 × 10−4 M) was ineffective. 6 The effectiveness of Ca2+ channel antagonists at pre- and postjunctional sites differ; the results are discussed in terms of the selectivity of these drugs for each site and their differential effects on transmitter release.