Phencyclidine increases the affinity of dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist binding in rat brain.

Phencyclidine (PCP) significantly reduces the apparent dissociation constant (KD) of the dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel antagonist, [3H]nitrendipine, in synaptosomal membranes of rat and mouse brain without significantly effecting the maximum binding capacity (Bmax). At an optimum concentration of PCP (10 microM) the apparent KD of [3H]nitrendipine was reduced from 178 +/- 9 pM to 112 +/- 9 pM in rat forebrain, a 58% increase in affinity. The structural derivatives of PCP, P-Br-PCP [1-[1-(4-bromo-phenyl-cyclohexyl)piperidine]], m-NH2-PCP [1-[1-(3-anilo)-cyclohexyl]piperidine], (+/-)-PCMP [1-(1-phenyl)-cyclo-hexyl-3-methylpiperidine] also increased the apparent affinity of [3H]nitrendipine in the following order, p-Br-PCP much greater than PCMP greater than PCP greater than m-NH2-PCP. Local anesthetics either reduced the apparent affinity of [3H]nitrendipine or had no effect. Kinetic analysis revealed that PCP both increased the microassociation rate constant and decreased the microdissociation rate constant of [3H]nitrendipine. The magnitude of this enhanced binding varied with the brain region studied; the greatest increase in apparent affinity of [3H]nitrendipine was observed in striatum, while no significant increase in affinity was observed in brainstem. In some brain areas, PCP was more effective in reducing the KD in crude homogenates than in washed tissue. PCP (10 microM) did not alter the KD of [3H]nitrendipine to rat cardiac tissue. Both Ca2+ and Mg2+ inhibited the effect of PCP, while monovalent ions were ineffective in this regard.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)