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Interaction of the antihypertensive drug felodipine with calmodulin

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Abstract

Despite the marked differences in their chemical structure, members of a heterogeneous group of pharmacological agents are thought specifically to block Ca2+ influx through calcium channels1 and thus mediate negative inotropic cardiac effects and vasodilatation. Electrophysiological studies of the myocardium have shown that the slow inward Ca2+ current is blocked1, but the cellular mechanism of these agents in vascular smooth muscle is largely unknown. Felodipine [4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-2,6-dimethyl 3,5-dicarboxylic 3-ethylester and 5-methylester)] is a new antihypertensive agent which seems specifically to dilate precapillary resistance vessels in vivo. It is a structural analogue of nifedipine1 and SKF 242602, both of which have been classified as ‘calcium antagonists’, implying that their vascular as well as myocardial actions are due to a blockade of Ca2+ influx. However, the findings reported here point rather to an interaction between felodipine and calcium-binding proteins such as calmodulin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AB Hässle Research Laboratories, S-431 83, Mölndal, Sweden

    Stig-Lennart Boström & Bengt Ljung

  2. Department of Physiology, University of Göteborg, Sweden

    Stig-Lennart Boström & Bengt Ljung

  3. Institute of Medical and Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 575, S-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden

    Sven Mårdh

  4. Physical Chemistry 2, Chemical Center, POB 740, S-220 07, Lund, Sweden

    Sture Forsen & Eva Thulin

Authors
  1. Stig-Lennart Boström
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  2. Bengt Ljung
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  3. Sven Mårdh
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  4. Sture Forsen
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  5. Eva Thulin
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Boström, SL., Ljung, B., Mårdh, S. et al. Interaction of the antihypertensive drug felodipine with calmodulin. Nature 292, 777–778 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/292777a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/292777a0

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