B. Colas et al., Effects of methyclothiazide on contractile responses and Ca2+ entry into vascular smooth muscle cells, ARCH MAL C, 93(8), 2000, pp. 901-904
The possible involvement of calcium and potassium channels in mediating the
vascular actions of methyclothiazide (MCTZ), a thiazide diuretic, was inve
stigated in isolated aortic rings from 12 week-old hypertensive rats. MCTZ
(10(-4) M) inhibits the contractile response induced by addition of Ca2+ to
a depolarizing solution, the maximal contracture is reduced by 87.16+/-6.4
%. Furthermore this inhibitory effect was unaffected by charybdotoxine a se
lective blocker of calcium-activated K+ channels (Kca). This suggesting tha
t MCTZ inhibits voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and blunts the Ca2+ entry into
vascular smooth muscle cells. This inhibition was partially attenuated by e
ither mechanical removal of the endothelium or No-nitro-L-arginine (NOLA) t
reatment, suggesting that MCTZ effects are also mediated by an endothelium-
dependent mechanism involving endothelium-dependent relaxing factor (EDRF)/
nitric oxide (NO) release.
Taken together, these observations could point to a role of voltage-gated C
a2+ channels and endothelial release of EDRF/NO in the antihypertensive act
ion of MCTZ.