High potassium produced a concentration-dependent contraction in rat isolated spleen. 2. The high potassium-induced contraction of rat spleen was abolished in Ca(2+)-free Krebs solution containing 1 mM EGTA, and the subsequent addition of 3 mM Ca2+ restored the high potassium-induced contraction to the control level. 3. Nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem, Cd2+, Ni2+, Co2+, R-(+)-Bay K 8644 and pimozide inhibited and relaxed high potassium-induced contraction of rat spleen with IC50 and EC50 values much higher than those values in rat aorta. 4. In addition, high potassium-stimulated contraction of rat spleen was insensitive to omega-conotoxin GVIA, omega-conotoxin MVIIC and omega-agatoxin IVA. 5. The high potassium-induced contraction of rat spleen was also unaffected by tetrodotoxin (TTX), prazosin, chloroethylclonidine (CEC), yohimbine, propranolol, atropine, diphenhydramine, cimetidine, ketanserin, 3-tropanyl-indole-3-carboxylate, saralasin, indomethacin, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, GR32191B, domperidone, naloxone, chlorpromazine, suramin, (+/-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), L-659,877, L-703,606, lorglumide, PD 135,158 N-methyl-D-glucamine, benextramine, amiloride, dantrolene, TMB-8, econazole, staurosporine and neomycin. 6. Forskolin and sodium nitroprusside relaxed high potassium-induced contraction of rat spleen with EC50 values of 0.55 +/- 0.04 and 20.0 +/- 2.7 microM, respectively. 7. It is concluded that high potassium may activate a novel, pharmacologically uncharacterized voltage-operated Ca2+ channel in rat spleen.
