Calmodulin-antagonist drugs and porcine malignant hyperpyrexia

1. Landrace swine were identified as malignant hyperpyrexia susceptible (MHS) or control by the contracture responses of gracilis muscle fibre bundles to 3% halothane, 2 mmol/l caffeine and 80 mmol/l KCl. The effects of calmodulin-antagonist drugs on the contractile behaviour of control and MHS preparations were investigated in vitro. 2. Calmodulin-antagonists at micromolar concentrations induced contracture in both control and MHS muscle. Pretreatment of MHS muscle with calmodulin-antagonist drugs potentiated its response to halothane and caffeine. 3. These results suggest that calmodulin-antagonist drugs cause an increase in myoplasmic Ca2+ concentration in both control and MHS muscle.