Trans‐diclofurime has been shown to be a potent group II calcium antagonist in in vitro and in vivo test systems. In contrast to the dihydropyridines, group II calcium antagonists have a reduced propensity to cause reflex tachycardia due to well‐balanced inhibitory effects in smooth muscle and heart. Since effects on autonomic reflexes are more reliably assessed in conscious animals, the cardiovascular effects of trans‐diclofurime have been examined and compared to those of nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem in the conscious spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR).

Each SHR had an indwelling catheter in the femoral artery to record mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) and a cannula in the femoral vein for drug infusion over 1 min.

Nifedipine (0.1–3.0 μmol kg⁻¹ i.v.) caused dose‐related falls in MAP accompanied by dose‐related increases in HR. Trans‐diclofurime and verapamil (0.3–3.0 μmol kg⁻¹ i.v.) also caused dose‐related decreases in MAP, but significant tachycardia was only seen at 1.0 and 3.0 μmol kg⁻¹, Trans‐diclofurime (0.3 μmol kg⁻¹) induced a significant fall in HR. Diltiazem (1.0–10.0 μmol kg⁻¹ i.v.) induced dose‐related falls in MAP, significant bradycardia was evident with 1.0 μmol kg⁻¹ and tachycardia with 10 μmol kg⁻¹. Trans‐diclofurime and diltiazem induced less tachycardia than nifedipine and verapamil for equivalent falls in MAP.

These results suggest that trans‐diclofurime is a potent antihypertensive agent in conscious SHR and, like diltiazem, the hypotensive effects are associated with less tachycardia than is usually apparent with calcium antagonists such as nifedipine or verapamil.

The cardiovascular effects of trans‐diclofurime in conscious SHR are those expected of a class II calcium antagonist and are consistent with its proposed mode of interaction with the diltiazem site in the calcium channel.