[Study of electromechanical coupling in smooth muscle cells of the ureter using phenothiazines]

Chlorpromazine (ClP) and trifluoperazine (TFP) depress electrical and mechanical activity of ureter smooth muscle cells. Contraction was depressed by less doses of the substances applied as compared with the processes responsible for generation of spike activity. ClP causes the displacement of the dose-effect curve for Ca2+ towards larger concentrations of the latter. Trifluoperazine displaces the dose-effect curve for contraction to the right and downwards. It is concluded that inhibition of contraction and depression of ClP and TFP spikes is due to the calmodulin blocking on which kinase activity of myosin light chains depends. It is supposed that processes responsible for activation of the membrane systems of Ca2+ transport in the process of spike generation are also calmodulin-dependent.