Inhibitory action of betaxolol, a β‐selective adrenoceptor antagonist, on voltage‐dependent calcium channels in guinea‐pig artery and vein

Abstract

1. The effects of betaxolol, (+/-)-1-[4-[2-(cyclopropylmethoxy) ethyl] phenoxy]-3-(isopropylamino)-2-propanol hydrochloride, a beta 1-selective adrenoceptor antagonist, on voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels were investigated in single smooth muscle cells from guinea-pig mesenteric artery and portal vein using a whole-cell variant of the patch-clamp technique. Ca2+ channel currents were recorded with bath solutions contained 10 mM Ba2+ for arterial cells and 2 mM Ca2+ for venous cells. 2. Betaxolol inhibited Ca2+ channel currents dose-dependently in both mesenteric artery cells and portal vein cells. The two isomers, (+)-betaxolol and (-)-betaxolol (relative beta-antagonistic efficacies of 0.1 and 1, respectively), had similar potencies for inhibiting Ca2+ channel currents in portal vein cells. Propranolol did not inhibit the currents. Thus the inhibitory action of betaxolol on Ca2+ channel currents was independent of the beta-adrenoceptor. 3. The inhibitory action of betaxolol on Ca2+ channel currents was compared with that of diltiazem and of nifedipine in mesenteric artery cells. The current inhibition depended on the stimulation frequency with all drugs (use-dependent block). All drugs also accelerated the current decay and shifted the voltage-dependent inactivation curve in a negative direction. 4. In conclusion, betaxolol inhibited Ca2+ channel currents in vascular smooth muscle cells. The mode of inhibitory action was similar to that of diltiazem and nifedipine. Our results suggest that betaxolol is a unique beta-adrenoceptor antagonist that has a direct inhibitory action on voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in vascular smooth muscle cells.