Verapamil blockade of pressor and uterine responses to AVP-OT analogue, oxypressin.

The effects of the calcium channel blocker verapamil on simultaneously recorded uterine and pressor responses to the equipotent (in eliciting these responses) oxytocin-vasopressin analogue, oxypressin, were studied in urethan-anesthetized and pentolinium- and indomethacin-treated rats during injections and infusions of this analogue. Doses of verapamil that almost completely blocked the pressor response to infused oxypressin had no effect on a pressor response to injected oxypressin of equal magnitude. Larger doses of verapamil blocked the pressor response to injected oxypressin somewhat. Uterine responses were only marginally affected by these doses of verapamil, and there was no significant difference between infusion and injection or between estrus and diestrus.