Some effects of the calcium promotor BAY K 8644 on feline cerebral arteries.

The proposed calcium promotor BAY K 86(44) contracted feline basilar arteries partially depolarized by 10 mmol X 1(-1) potassium in a concentration-dependent manner (EC50 value: (2.1 +/- 1.2) X 10(-9) mol X 1(-1)). The concentration-response curve for prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha was displaced to the left after pretreatment with BAY K 86(44). PGF2 alpha induced a biphasic contraction in calcium-free medium as has been described previously. The second PGF2 alpha-induced contraction phase in calcium-free medium was abolished by pretreatment with nifedipine or diltiazem. BAY K 86(44) restored the second phase in arteries pretreated with nifedipine, but not in vessels pretreated with diltiazem. The findings suggest that BAY K 86(44) acts as a promotor of calcium-influx, probably by interaction with the 'dihydropyridine receptor' in the cell membrane, and also provide support for the view that PGF2 alpha releases membrane-bound calcium.