OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of calcium antagonist mediated cytoprotection against the damaging effects of adrenaline in vivo on cardiac myocytes and human endothelial cells from the umbilical vein. METHODS Human endothelial cells cultured from the umbilical vein and isolated rat cardiac myocytes were treated with plasma from rats given adrenaline 30 minutes previously with pretreat...

Calcium antagonists are used for coronary spastic angina (CSA) treatment. We previously identified a phospholipase C (PLC) -δ1 gene variant that results in enhanced PLC activity patients with CSA and developed animal model by generating vascular smooth muscle cell-specific human PLC-δ1 overexpression (PLC-TG) mice. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of using PLC-TG mice inhi...

The goal of these studies was to determine if different calcium channel antagonists affect glucose transport in a neuronal cell line. For these studies, rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were treated with L-, Tand N-type calcium channel antagonists prior to measuring the accumulation of H-2-deoxyglucose (H-2-DOG). The L-type channel antagonists, nimodipine, nifedipine, verapamil, and diltiazem ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Stroke is a common disease, and many trials with calcium antagonists as possible neuroprotective agents have been conducted. The aim of this review is to determine whether calcium antagonists reduce the risk of death or dependency after acute ischemic stroke. METHODS Acute stroke trials were identified with help of the Cochrane Collaboration Stroke Group and personal co...

BACKGROUND Several recent studies have suggested that calcium antagonist drugs, which are widely used for the treatment of hypertension, are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. These studies have cast doubts on the long-term safety of calcium antagonists. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of calcium antagonist use with mortality in subjects with hypertension followed ...

The goal of these studies was to determine whether different calcium channel antagonists affect glucose transport in a neuronal cell line. Rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells were treated with L-, T-, and N-type calcium channel antagonists before measurement of accumulation of 2-[(3)H]deoxyglucose (2-[(3)H]DG). The L-type channel antagonists nimodipine, nifedipine, verapamil, and diltiazem all i...

The effects of calcium antagonists (verapamil, diltiazem, and nicardipine) on j3-adrenergic receptors of cultured cardiac myocytes isolated from neonatal rat ventricle were studied with the hydrophilic ligand [3H]CGP-12177, which identifies cell surface-bound a-receptors. The three calcium antagonists suppressed spontaneous beating of the myocytes, increased the number of P-receptors, but did n...

The effects of calcium antagonists (verapamil, diltiazem, and nicardipine) on beta-adrenergic receptors of cultured cardiac myocytes isolated from neonatal rat ventricle were studied with the hydrophilic ligand [3H]CGP-12177, which identifies cell surface-bound beta-receptors. The three calcium antagonists suppressed spontaneous beating of the myocytes, increased the number of beta-receptors, b...

OBJECTIVES The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of free ionized calcium influenced by either the anticoagulant used (citrate vs. heparin) or directly varying the calcium levels after treatment of blood with citrate on the antiplatelet efficacy of two classes of GPIIb/IIIa antagonists. METHODS The platelet effects of changes in plasma [Ca(++)] with the different GPIIb/IIIa...

A 12 lead electrocardiogram was recorded during treadmill exercise in 57 patients with variant angina in whom coronary angiography was performed. Thirty six patients performed exercise tests with and without calcium antagonists, and 21 performed them only with calcium antagonists. In 55 patients calcium antagonists had prevented spontaneous attacks of variant angina for more than two days befor...