Selectivity of class I antiarrhythmic agents, disopyramide, pirmenol, and pentisomide for peripheral muscarinic M2 and M3 receptors.

The interactions of the class I antiarrhythmic agents, disopyramide, pirmenol, and pentisomide with peripheral muscarinic receptors were investigated by binding assay with [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) as a ligand. All the agents inhibited the specific [3H]NMS binding to membrane preparations obtained from guinea pig submandibular gland (SG) and urinary bladder (UB) smooth muscle. The competition curves of these agents for [3H]NMS binding to SG membranes were monophasic, indicating competition with [3H]NMS at a single site. Comparison of results with those of our previous binding experiments using guinea pig left atrial (LA) membranes, showed that pirmenol had sevenfold lower affinity for glandular-type muscarinic receptors (M3) than for cardiac-type muscarinic receptors (M2). On the other hand, the dissociation constants (Ki) for disopyramide and pentisomide in SG were comparable to the high-affinity Ki values for these agents at M2 receptors. The competition curves of the three agents for [3H]NMS binding to UB membranes were biphasic and showed high- and low-affinity states of binding. The high- and low-affinity Ki values for pirmenol in UB were similar to its Ki values at M2 and M3 receptors obtained in LA and SG, respectively. The high-affinity Ki values for disopyramide and pentisomide were consistent with the respective Ki values determined in SG, whereas the low-affinity binding sites for these agents were presumably the result of their allosteric interactions with the receptors. All agents at higher concentrations slowed the dissociation of [3H]NMS elicited by an excess of atropine in both UB and SG, thus indicating allosteric interactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)