cGMP facilitates calcium current via cGMP-dependent protein kinase in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes

The effect of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) on L-type Ca current (ICa) was investigated in a study of rabbit ventricular myocytes using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Intracellular application of cGMP (100 MUm) increased ICa in the absence of isoprenaline or forskolin. 8-Bromo-cGMP (100 muM) and 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cGMP (8-pCPT-cGMP, 400 muM), relatively specific stimulators of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGMP-PK), also increased ICa. The stimulatory effect of 8-pCPT-cGMP was suppressed by Rp-8-chlorophenylthio-cGMP (400 muM), a phosphodiesterase-resistant cGMP-PK inhibitor. When ICa was increased by bath application of the non-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX, 100 muM), 8-pCPT-cGMP (400 muM) resulted in additional stimulation of ICa. In the presence of 8-pCPT-cGMP, additional applications of isoprenaline (1 muM) or forskolin (1 muM) induced a further increase in ICa. From these results, it could be concluded that the activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase is involved in the facilitation of ICa by cGMP in rabbit ventricular myocytes.