Phosphocitrate inhibition of 45Ca2+ uptake in rat aortic smooth muscle cells in primary culture.

Phosphocitrate inhibits 45Ca2+ uptake by rat aortic smooth muscle cells in primary culture. Unlike the Ca2+ channel blocking effect of diltiazem, the phosphocitrate effect is neither time dependent nor reliant on a depolarized membrane. Phosphocitrate and diltiazem together in maximum inhibitory concentration show an additive effect. The data suggest that different Ca2+ uptake mechanisms are involved. The potential exists for phosphocitrate to have a therapeutic role in atherogenesis through modulating Ca2+ movements in arterial smooth muscle.