Calphostin c, a widely-used protein kinase c inhibitor, directly
and potently blocks l-type ca channels.
Hartzell, H. Criss, and Amber Rinderknecht.
HeartCell Laboratory, Emory University School of Medicine,
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Atlanta, GA 30322-3030
APStracts 2:0381C, 1995.
Calphostin C is a widely-used inhibitor of protein kinase C: in the
past 4 years at least 350 articles have been published using this
drug as a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C. In this paper, we
show that calphostin C also potently inhibits cardiac L-type Ca
channels by a mechanism that does not involve changes in cAMP levels
or dephosphorylation. The inhibition requires illumination by visible
light during exposure to calphostin C. The Ca current that remains
after partial inhibition of ICa has the same voltage dependent
characteristics as the control current.
Received 8 September 1995; accepted in final form 17 October
1995.
APS Manuscript Number C545-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 6 November 95