Effect of carticaine on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (calcium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase) transports Ca2+ from the myoplasm to the reticulum lumen at the expense of free energy from ATP hydrolysis. Carticaine is a local anesthetic of frequent use in dentistry which is now entering other clinical fields. We studied the action of carticaine on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) skeletal muscle Ca2+-ATPase. SR vesicles from rabbit fast skeletal muscle were used. Carticaine inhibits the enzymatic activity. The inhibition of the enzymatic activity depends on pH, [Ca2+] and the presence of calcimycin. Half-maximal carticaine concentration that inhibits the ATPase activity tends to a maximal value upon increasing [Ca2+]. Carticaine concentrations required to inhibit the enzymatic activity at myoplasmic calcium concentration are lower than usual clinical doses: Ki=6.0+/-1.4 mM carticaine (n=5) for 0.1 microM [Ca2+]. ATP-dependent calcium uptake is also inhibited by the local anesthetic: Ki=30.5+/-3.4 mM (n=4). Besides, carticaine inhibits the phosphorylation of the enzyme by inorganic phosphate (Pi): Ki=20.0+/-3.4 (n=5) - 33.2+/-4.6 (n=4) mM, for [Pi] 1-4 mM. Carticaine increases the membrane permeability to Ca2+. Ca2+ efflux from preloaded vesicles is prevented by Ca2+ and Mg2+. Our results suggest that the diffusion of the local anesthetic into muscle fibers might trigger undesired effects such as sustained contraction of the masticatory muscles.