Calcium antagonistic effects of Chinese crude drugs: Preliminary investigation and evaluation by 45Ca

Coronary and other diseases in cardiac or brain blood vessels are considered to be due to the excessive influx of Ca2+ into cytoplasm. If Ca2+ channels in cell membrane are blocked by medicines or other substances with considerable calcium antagonistic effects, these diseases might be cured or controlled. The influence of some Chinese crude drugs, including Crocus sativus, Carthamus tinctorius, Ginkgo biloba and Bulbus allii macrostemi on Ca2+ influx in isolated rat aortas was investigated by using 45Ca as a radioactive tracer, and their calcium antagonistic effects were evaluated. It can be noted that Ca2+ uptake in isolated rat aorta rings in normal physiological status was not markedly altered by these drugs, whereas the Ca2+ influxes induced by norepinephrine of 1.2 μmol/L and KCl of 100 mmol/L were significantly inhibited by Crocus, Carthamus and Bulbus in a concentration-dependent manner, but not by Ginkgo. The results show that extracellular Ca2+ influx through receptor-operated Ca2+channels and potential-dependent Ca2+channels can be blocked by Crocus, Carthamus and Bulbus. This implies that these Chinese crude drugs have obvious calcium antagonistic effects.