Effects of N-n-butyl haloperidol iodide on L-type calcium channels and intracellular free calcium in rat ventricular myocytes.

The ability of N-n-butyl haloperidol iodide (F2) to cause vasodilation, and thereby produce a cardioprotective effect, has been well documented. The aim of this study was to investigate whether F2 might act as a Ca2+ antagonist. Myocytes were obtained from rat heart, and the whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to record Ca2+ current. Laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to measure intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i). The results obtained from this study demonstrate that F2 reduced calcium current (ICa) in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 1.19 micromol/L, upshifted the current-voltage curve of ICa, shifted the inactivation kinetics of ICa leftward, and slowed down the recovery of ICa from inactivation. F2 decreased the fluorescent intensity of [Ca2+]i elevation induced by KCl with an IC50 of 1.61 micromol/L, and had no effects on the intracellular calcium release induced by caffeine and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate. These findings indicate that F2 may act as a calcium antagonist, which could account for its cardiovascular benefits.