Pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein activation does not influence the response to Bay K 8644 in embryonic chick myocytes.

Pretreatment of embryonic chick cardiac myocytes with pertussis toxin (1-2.5 micrograms ml-1 for 22 h) abolished the negative chronotropic effects of carbachol but not the positive inotropic effects of Bay K 8644. Neither guanosine 5'-O-3-thiotriphosphate (GTP gamma S 500 microM intracellularly), nor pertussis toxin (0.5-1 microgram ml-1 for 22 h) modified the agonist effects of Bay K 8644 on calcium channel currents recorded under whole-cell voltage clamp. These findings indicate that pertussis-sensitive guanine nucleotide binding (G)-proteins does not modulate the effects of calcium channel activators in embryonic chick cardiac myocytes.