Negative inotropic action of denbufylline through interfering with the calcium channel independently of its PDE IV inhibitory activity in guinea pig ventricle papillary muscles.

The inotropic actions of xanthine derivatives with long alkyl chains were investigated in guinea pig ventricular papillary muscle. A potent and nonselective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, elicited a positive inotropy and inhibited the negative inotropic effects of calcium channel inhibitors, as did a selective PDE III inhibitor, amrinone, and these effects were canceled by a protein kinase inhibitor, N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H-89). However, 1,3-di-n-butyl-7-(2'oxopropyl)xanthine (denbufylline) and 1-n-butyl-3-n-propylxanthine (XT-044), which have potent and selective PDE IV-inhibitory activities, showed negative inotropic actions that became more potent in the presence of H-89. Denbufylline abolished the late restoration phase induced by ryanodine. This xanthine derivative attenuated the effects of both the calcium channel acting agents Bay K 8644 and verapamil, without interaction with caffeine and dihydropyridine calcium channel inhibitors, and denbufylline had little direct influence on the specific binding of [(3)H]azidopine and [(3)H]desmethoxyverapamil to cardiac membranes. A nonxanthine PDE IV inhibitor, Ro 20-1724, did not affect the inotropic actions of calcium channel inhibitors. The attenuation by denbufylline or XT-044 of the negative inotropic action of verapamil was not influenced by treatment with H-89. These results suggest that in the ventricular papillary muscle, these xanthine derivatives elicit negative inotropy by acting on a verapamil-sensitive site of the calcium channel without involving their PDE-inhibitory activity.