Abstract
Dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blockers have been shown to suppress atherogenesis in various species and controlled angiographic trials suggest that these drugs may retard the progression of occlusive coronary disease in humans. Because mononuclear leukocytes play a key role in the formation of early and advanced atheromatous lesions, we determined effects of DHP calcium channel modulators on calcium uptake by cells of the monocytic lineage. Human peripheral blood monocytes were evaluated before and after undergoing in vitro differentiation induced by two days of culture with fetal calf serum and FMLP. Changes in intracellular calcium activity were estimated with fura-2, a fluorescent calcium indicator. Freshly isolated (unactivated) monocytes were insensitive to DHP drugs both in the presence and absence of high potassium membrane depolarization. In contrast, nisoldipine, a DHP calcium channel blocker, and BAY K 8644, a DHP calcium channel activator, decreased and increased calcium uptake by KC1-depolarized differentiated monocytes. Results suggest that differentiation of monocytes to macrophages may involve a change in the expression and/or regulation of DHP- sensitive calcium channels.
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