Protective effect of bepridil against veratrine-induced contracture in rat atria.

In isolated stimulated rat atria, superfusion with veratrine caused a marked contracture (VIC) which was absent in calcium-free medium and which was inhibited by tetrodotoxin (IC50VIC of 1.38 microM). Lowering the extracellular calcium concentration from 2.

Effects of bepridil and of its quaternary derivative on rat tail artery.

The effects of bepridil and its quaternary ammonium derivative (BN+) were compared, showing that: (i) both drugs inhibited K+-induced contractions with similar time courses and potencies, (ii) bepridil blocked the tonic but not the phasic component of contractions elicited by noradrenaline, whereas BN+ had no effect on noradrenaline-elicited contractions. These results, and the relative insensitivity of skinned taenia caeci to bepridil, suggest that this drug and BN+ do not act directly on contractile proteins but affect K+- and noradrenaline-induced calcium channel activities differentially.

Pharmacological evidence for cardiac muscarinic receptor subtypes.

The chronotropic and inotropic effects of muscarinic receptor agonists (Acetylcholine, Arecoline, Carbachol, Furtrethonium) and antagonists (Atropine, N-methyl and N-butyl scopolammonium, pirenzepine) on isolated guinea-pig atria were studied. All had a greater affinity constants for muscarinic receptors as assessed in terms of inotropic effects than in terms of chronotropic effects. This difference, well correlated with the pharmacological effect, suggests the occurrence of cardiac muscarinic receptor subtypes, one mediating heart rate and the other contractile force.

[Comparative affinity of several standard anti-secretory agents for the intestinal cholinergic receptors of of rats and dogs].

Anticholinergic potentialities of four standard anti-secretory drugs (N-methyl-scopolammonium methylsulfate, atropine, diphemanil and prifinium) have been investigated with the help of molecular pharmacology techniques. The results gained with two different agonists (acetylcholine and carbachol) on rat and dog intestinal cholinergic receptors-jejunum and duodenum respectively-show : 1) That relative potentialities of the anticholinergic drugs (pA2) as well as those of the cholinomimetic agonists (pD2) are markedly modified according to which effector is used. 2) The N-methyl scopolammonium methylsulfate remains in any event the most potent anticholinergic drug investigated.