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Calcium antagonistic actions of tetrandrine depend on cell types

H Takemura1, C Y Kwan, H Ohshika

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Japan.

Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology
|October 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Tetrandrine (TET) affects calcium (Ca2+) entry differently across various cell types. This study shows TET

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Pharmacology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Calcium (Ca2+) signaling is crucial for numerous cellular functions.
  • Understanding how compounds modulate Ca2+ entry is vital for therapeutic development.
  • Tetrandrine (TET) is a known compound with potential effects on ion channels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of tetrandrine (TET) on Ca2+ mobilization and entry in diverse cell models.
  • To compare TET's effects with thapsigargin (TG), a tool for studying capacitative Ca2+ entry.
  • To determine if TET's action on Ca2+ entry is cell-type specific.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized inositol trisphosphate-generating drugs and thapsigargin (TG) to stimulate Ca2+ release and entry.
  • Administered 100 μM tetrandrine (TET) to various cell lines, including PC12, NIH/3T3, C6, rat parotid acinar cells, and Jurkat cells.
  • Measured intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) changes in response to stimuli in the presence and absence of TET.

Main Results:

  • TET abolished or partially inhibited Ca2+ entry induced by various agonists and TG in PC12, NIH/3T3, C6, and rat parotid acinar cells.
  • In Jurkat T-cells, TET did not inhibit Ca2+ entry evoked by anti-CD3 antibody or TG.
  • The inhibitory effects of TET on Ca2+ entry were found to be cell-type dependent.

Conclusions:

  • Tetrandrine (TET) significantly impacts Ca2+ mobilization and entry pathways in a cell-specific manner.
  • The compound's effectiveness in modulating Ca2+ entry varies depending on the cell type and the stimulus used.
  • These findings highlight the complex pharmacology of TET and its potential for differential targeting in various tissues.

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