| Abstract: | Two distinct and interdependent binding sites for inhibitors of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels have been identified. They include one site for molecules of the 1,4-dihydropyridine serie such as nitrendipine, nifedipine or PN200-110 and one site for a chemically heterogenous group of compounds comprising verapamil, D600 and desmethoxyverapamil, bepridil and diltiazem. Ca2+ binds to its own coordination site which is distinct from the receptor site for organic Ca2+ channel inhibitors. The molecular size of the native 3H] nitrendipine receptor of transverse tubule membrane, brain and heart, have been determined using the radiation inactivation technique. The 3H] nitrendipine receptor is found to have a Mr of 210,000 +/- 20,000. CHAPS solubilization and purification indicate that the dihydropyridine receptor contains polypeptides of apparent molecular weights of 142,000, 32,000 and 33,000 which copurifie with (+) 3H] PN200-110 binding activity. Two stages in which there is an increased binding of 3H]nitrendipine have been observed during chick myogenesis. The first one occurs during embryonic life and has the same properties as in the in vitro development. The second stage occurs near hatching and corresponds to a large increase in the number of nitrendipine receptors. This increase is accompanied by a decrease in the affinity of nitrendipine for its receptor by a factor of 4 to 10. The second stage of development is partly under innervation control and its expression is modulated by the intracellular cyclic AMP content. The two dihydropyridines Bay K8644 and CGP 28932 work preferentially on polarized membranes. 45Ca2+ flux experiments yielded results which are in good agreement with electrophysiological, contraction and binding data obtained with rat cardiac cells and skeletal muscle cells. |
