Differences in responses to TC-81 among various arteries in dogs.

The vasodilation induced by TC-81 was investigated in vitro and in vivo. In helical strips of dog arteries precontracted with 65.4 mM KCl, TC-81, nicardipine, nifedipine, diltiazem, and papaverine produced concentration-dependent relaxation. The potencies of TC-81 were in the following order: basilar > coronary > femoral > renal > mesenteric arteries. The other drugs also showed a similar property of greater response in basilar and coronary arteries than in renal and mesenteric arteries. However, the difference in reactivity to TC-81 was greater. On the other hand, TC-81, nicardipine, and papaverine dose-dependently increased the blood flow in vertebral, coronary, and femoral arteries in anesthetized dogs. However, the blood flow in renal and mesenteric arteries was not changed or decreased. The decreases in vessel resistance induced by TC-81 were in the following order: vertebral > coronary > femoral > renal = mesenteric arteries, agreeing with the experimental results in vitro. These results suggest that Ca2+ antagonists have the pharmacological property of vasodilating cerebral and heart blood vessels more selectively than other arteries, and this property of TC-81 might be an advantage compared with other drugs.