Implication of Cyclic AMP in the Positive Inotropic Effects of Cyclic GMP-inhibited Cyclic AMP Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors on Guinea Pig Isolated Left Atria

The present investigation was performed to characterize the positive inotropic actions of inhibitors of the cyclic GMP-inhibited cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (CGI-PDE) on the electrically driven guinea pig left atria. With forskolin added at a concentration (1 x 10(-8)-3 x 10(-8) M) that in itself produced a 10.7% increase of the response to electrical stimulation, the EC50 value of isoproterenol was slightly but significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced from 1.5 to 0.9 nM without modification of the maximal developed tension (delta Emax). The positive inotropic effects of milrinone, piroximone, and SK&F 94120 were significantly enhanced by forskolin (percentage of increase at 3 x 10(-5) M CGI-PDE inhibitors concentration was milrinone 43, piroximone 154, and SK&F 94120 133). With 8-Br-cyclic GMP added (10(-4) M) that in itself exerted a small but significant negative inotropic effect (-0.12 g), the EC50 value of isoproterenol was significantly (p less than 0.01) increased from 1.5 to 3 nM without modification of the delta Emax value. The positive inotropic effects of CGI-PDE inhibitors were significantly depressed by 8-Br-cyclic GMP (percentage of decrease at 3 x 10(-5) M was milrinone 35, piroximone 63, and SK&F 94120 39). In identical conditions, neither forskolin nor 8-Br-cyclic GMP produced any significant alteration of the positive inotropic effects of elevated external Ca2+ or protoveratrine B. Together these results strongly suggest that the positive inotropic effect of CGI-PDE inhibitors is mediated by cyclic AMP in guinea pig left atria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)