Coumarin 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives.

A series of 1,4-dihydropyridines bearing a coumarin moiety in 4-position was synthesized. The compounds were evaluated for inotropic, chronotropic and calcium antagonist activities. The replacement of the o-nitrophenyl moiety of nifedipine with a coumarin or phenylcoumarin system is accompanied by a decrease of the activity on myocardial and vascular parameters, but the synthesized compounds showed selective inhibiting effects on cardiac contractility and frequency.