Regulation of intracellular calcium by bupivacaine isomers in cardiac myocytes from Wistar rats.

In this study we investigated the effects of a racemic mixture of bupivacaine (RS(+/-)bupivacaine) and its isomers (S(-)bupivacaine and R(+)bupivacaine) on the Ca2+ handling by ventricular myocytes from Wistar rats. Single ventricular myocytes were enzymatically isolated and loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura 2-am to estimate intracellular Ca2+ concentration during contraction and relaxation cycles. S(-)bupivacaine (10 muM) significantly increased peak amplitude and the rate of increase of Ca2+ transients in 155% +/- 54% (P < 0.

Thienylhydrazone derivative increases sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release in mammalian skeletal muscle.

3,4-Methylenedioxybenzoyl-2-thienylhydrazone (L-294) is a cardiac inotropic drug whose action is mediated by an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration as a result of enhanced Ca(2+) accumulation in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In the present study we tested whether this new thienylhydrazone derivative was effective in mammalian skeletal muscle. We investigated the effect of L-294 on the contractility of isolated skeletal muscle, on Ca(2+) uptake and release by sarcoplasmic reticulum in skinned fibers and in membrane vesicles.