Cisapride, a selective serotonin 5-HT4-receptor agonist, inhibits voltage-dependent K+ channels in rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells

We investigated the effect of cisapride, a selective serotonin 5-HT4-receptor agonist, on voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channels using freshly isolated smooth muscle cells from the coronary arteries of rabbits. The amplitude of Kv currents was reduced by cisapride in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 6.77 ± 6.01 μM and a Hill coefficient of 0.51 ± 0.18. The application of cisapride shifted the steady-state inactivation curve toward a more negative potential, but had no significant effect on the steady-state activation curve. This suggested that cisapride inhibited the Kv channel in a closed state by changing the voltage sensitivity of Kv channels. The application of another selective serotonin 5-HT4-receptor agonist, prucalopride, did not affect the basal Kv current and did not alter the inhibitory effect of cisapride on Kv channels. From these results, we concluded that cisapride inhibited vascular Kv current in a concentration-dependent manner by shifting the steady-state inactivation curve, independent of its own function as a selective serotonin 5-HT4-receptor agonist.