PC12 cells, a clonal rat pheochromocytoma cell line, possess voltage-dependent calcium channels that bind the high affinity dihydropyridine calcium antagonist [3H]nitrendipine and other calcium channel blockers. The binding is temperature-dependent and saturable, and shows no cooperativity. The calcium antagonists inhibit potassium-induced 45Ca uptake into the cells with approximately the same ...

Although L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCCs) have been well characterized electrophysiologitally, their role in synaptic physiology has remained unclear. To assess their involvement in synaptic regulation of gene expression, we have examined the effects of selective VSCC antagonists on basal, synaptically mediated activation of several transcription factor genes in cultured cortic...

The inhibitory effects of calcium antagonists on high-potassium or glutamate (Glu) enhanced intracellular calcium ion ([Ca2+]i) levels were studied in cultured cerebellar granule cells. Dosages between 0.5 and 10 microM of flunarizine, nicardipine, SM6586 and SM12565 reduced the rise in [Ca2+]i induced by 50 mM KCl in a dose-dependent manner, although diltiazem, verapamil and nifedipine showed ...

BACKGROUND We have previously shown that calcium channel antagonists inhibit in vitro meningioma growth. This study examines the effect of calcium channel antagonists on in vivo xenograft meningioma growth. METHODS Meningioma cells taken from human patients were mixed with Matrigel and injected into the subcutaneous space in the flank of nude mice. These animals were treated with calcium chan...

The neuropeptide S receptor (NPS receptor) responds to the 20 amino-acid peptide derived from a precursor (NPS, P0C0P6). NPS activates its at low nanomolar concentrations elevating intracellular cAMP and calcium levels [71]. Currently, some peptidic small molecule antagonists are available as research tools [27, 79, 8, 59]. No ligands currently used clinically.

To test the hypothesis that long-term beta- or calcium-antagonist therapy begun before the time of myocardial infarction and coronary reperfusion might improve patient in-hospital survival compared with reperfusion alone, 424 consecutive patients successfully reperfused with coronary angioplasty within 12 hours of infarct symptom onset were carefully and retrospectively characterized. Forty-sev...