Barium can replace calcium in calmodulin-dependent contractions of skinned renal arteries of the rabbit.

Renal arteries of the rabbit were chemically skinned using Triton X-100. In EGTA-buffered solutions containing calmodulin and ATP, small strips of the skinned preparations were found to develop contractile force which was dependent on the concentrations of either free calcium or of free barium. However, a 220 times greater concentration of barium than of calcium was necessary for comparable effects. Quantitatively, the response to barium was dependent on the concentration of calmodulin added to the test solutions. The contractile effect of barium was partly antagonized by the calmodulin antagonist, trifluoperazine.