Nicorandil: differential contribution of K+ channel opening and guanylate cyclase stimulation to its vasorelaxant effects on various endothelin-1-contracted arterial preparations. Comparison to aprikalim (RP 52891) and nitroglycerin.

In endothelium-denuded rat aortic rings, the sustained contractile effects produced by endothelin-1 (ET-1; 3.2 nM) were concentration-dependently overcome by nicorandil, aprikalim (RP 52891), a specific K+ channel opener, and nitroglycerin, a stimulant of guanylate cyclase (EC50: 2.55 +/- 0.06, 0.37 +/- 0.05 and 0.3 +/- 0.008 microM respectively, n = 13-16/group). The decontractant activity of aprikalim was not affected by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue (10 microM), whereas it was markedly antagonized by glibenclamide (1 microM) (pKB: 7.19 +/- 0.15), an antagonist of ATP-gated K+ channels in pancreatic beta cells. This sulfonylurea failed to modify nitroglycerin-induced effects, but slightly reduced (10-15%) those produced by high concentrations of nicorandil. By contrast, methylene blue significantly displaced (4-fold) the control concentration-vasorelaxant response curves obtained with nitroglycerin and nicorandil. Zaprinast (20 microM), an inhibitor of soluble low Km cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase, enhanced the effects of nitroglycerin and nicorandil but did not alter those of aprikalim. Nicorandil relaxed ET-1-contracted rings from micropig left circumflex coronary artery with an EC50 of 24 +/- 2.8 microM (n = 7); this effect was antagonized by methylene blue (10 microM) and glibenclamide (3 microM) (2- and 4-fold dextral shift of the control concentration-response curve, respectively). In rat Langendorff-perfused heart with base-line coronary flow reduced by the addition of ET-1 to the perfusion medium, nicorandil and aprikalim increased coronary flow, while nitroglycerin did not. The vasodilator effects of the two compounds were also inhibited by glibenclamide (pKB congruent to 7).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)