Novel protocol for multiple-dose oral administration of the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker isradipine in mice: A dose-finding pharmacokinetic study.

Studies in genetically modified animals and human genetics have recently provided new insight into the role of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels in human disease. Therefore, the inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels in vivo in wildtype and mutant mice by potent dihydropyridine (DHP) Ca2+ channel blockers serves as an important pharmacological tool. These drugs have a short plasma half-life in humans and especially in rodents and show high first-pass metabolism upon oral application. In the vast majority of in vivo studies, they have therefore been delivered through parenteral routes, mostly subcutaneously or intraperitoneally. High peak plasma concentrations of DHPs cause side effects, evident as DHP-induced aversive behaviors confounding the interpretation of behavioral readouts. Nevertheless, pharmacokinetic data measuring the exposure achieved with these applications are sparse. Moreover, parenteral injections require animal handling and can be associated with pain, discomfort and stress which could influence a variety of physiological processes, behavioral and other functional readouts. Here, we describe a noninvasive oral application of the DHP isradipine by training mice to quickly consume small volumes of flavored yogurt that can serve as drug vehicle. This procedure does not require animal handling, allows repeated drug application over several days and reproducibly achieves peak plasma concentrations over a wide range previously shown to be well-tolerated in humans. This protocol should facilitate ongoing nonclinical studies in mice exploring new indications for DHP Ca2+ channel blockers.

Isradipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker, attenuates cocaine effects in mice by reducing central glutamate release.

Substance abuse disorder is a chronic condition for which pharmacological treatment options remain limited. L-type calcium channels (LTCC) have been implicated in drug-related plasticity and behavior. Specifically, dopaminergic neurons in the mesocorticolimbic pathway express Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 channels, which may regulate dopaminergic activity associated with reward behavior. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that pre-administration of the LTCC blocker, isradipine can mitigate the effects of cocaine by modulating central glutamatergic transmission. For that, we administered isradipine at varying concentrations (1, 7.5, and 15 µg/µL) via intracerebroventricular injection in male Swiss mice. This pretreatment was carried out prior to subjecting animals to behavioral assessments to evaluate cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization and conditioned place preference (CPP). The results revealed that isradipine administered at a concentration of 1 µg/µL effectively attenuated both the sensitization and CPP induced by cocaine (15 mg/kg, via i. p.). Moreover, mice treated with 1 µg/µL of isradipine showed decreased presynaptic levels of glutamate and calcium in the cortex and hippocampus as compared to control mice following cocaine exposure. Notably, the gene expression of ionotropic glutamate receptors, AMPA, and NMDA, remained unchanged, as did the expression of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 channels. Importantly, these findings suggest that LTCC blockage may inhibit behavioral responses to cocaine, most likely by decreasing glutamatergic input in areas related to addiction.

Inhibition of striatal dopamine release by the L-type calcium channel inhibitor isradipine co-varies with risk factors for Parkinson's.

Ca2+ entry into nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons and axons via L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (LTCCs) contributes, respectively, to pacemaker activity and DA release and has long been thought to contribute to vulnerability to degeneration in Parkinson's disease. LTCC function is greater in DA axons and neurons from substantia nigra pars compacta than from ventral tegmental area, but this is not explained by channel expression level. We tested the hypothesis that LTCC control of DA release is governed rather by local mechanisms, focussing on candidate biological factors known to operate differently between types of DA neurons and/or be associated with their differing vulnerability to parkinsonism, including biological sex, α-synuclein, DA transporters (DATs) and calbindin-D28k (Calb1). We detected evoked DA release ex vivo in mouse striatal slices using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and assessed LTCC support of DA release by detecting the inhibition of DA release by the LTCC inhibitors isradipine or CP8. Using genetic knockouts or pharmacological manipulations, we identified that striatal LTCC support of DA release depended on multiple intersecting factors, in a regionally and sexually divergent manner. LTCC function was promoted by factors associated with Parkinsonian risk, including male sex, α-synuclein, DAT and a dorsolateral co-ordinate, but limited by factors associated with protection, that is, female sex, glucocerebrosidase activity, Calb1 and ventromedial co-ordinate. Together, these data show that LTCC function in DA axons and isradipine effect are locally governed and suggest they vary in a manner that in turn might impact on, or reflect, the cellular stress that leads to parkinsonian degeneration.

Isradipine therapy in Cacna1dIle772Met/+ mice ameliorates primary aldosteronism and neurologic abnormalities.

Somatic gain-of-function mutations in the L-type calcium channel CaV1.3 (CACNA1D gene) cause adrenal aldosterone-producing adenomas and micronodules. De novo germline mutations are found in a syndrome of primary aldosteronism, seizures, and neurologic abnormalities (PASNA) as well as in autism spectrum disorder. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we here generated mice with a Cacna1d gain-of-function mutation found in both adenomas and PASNA syndrome (Cacna1dIle772Met/+). These mice show reduced body weight and increased mortality from weaning to approximately 100 days of age. Male mice do not breed, likely due to neuromotor impairment, and the offspring of female mice die perinatally, likely due to lack of maternal care. Mice generated by in vitro fertilization showed elevated intracellular calcium in the aldosterone-producing zona glomerulosa, an elevated aldosterone/renin ratio, and persistently elevated serum aldosterone on a high-salt diet as signs of primary aldosteronism. Anesthesia with ketamine and xylazine induced tonic-clonic seizures. Neurologic abnormalities included hyperlocomotion, impaired performance in the rotarod test, impaired nest building, and slight changes in social behavior. Intracellular calcium in the zona glomerulosa, aldosterone levels, and rotarod performance responded to treatment with the calcium channel blocker isradipine, with implications for the therapy of patients with aldosterone-producing lesions and with PASNA syndrome.

Isradipine, an L-type calcium channel inhibitor, attenuates cue-associated methamphetamine-seeking in mice.

Methamphetamine (meth) is an addictive psychostimulant and there are no FDA-approved treatment options for patients suffering from meth use disorders. In addition to being addictive, meth is also neurotoxic and chronic administration results in degeneration of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopamine and locus coeruleus (LC) norepinephrine neurons in mice. Optimal treatment strategies for meth use disorders would attenuate maladaptive meth-seeking behavior as well as provide neuroprotection. The L-type calcium channel inhibitor isradipine and the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor rasagiline both prevent chronic meth-induced SNc and LC degeneration but effects on meth-seeking are unknown. To test whether these clinically available compounds can mitigate meth-seeking, mice were implanted with chronic indwelling jugular vein catheters and allowed to self-administer meth (0.1 mg/kg/infusion) for 10 consecutive days (2-hrs/day) on a fixed ratio (FR) 1 schedule of reinforcement with meth infusions paired to a cue light. One day after the last self-administration session mice were tested for cue-associated meth-seeking behavior wherein the meth-associated cue light was contingently presented but meth reinforcement withheld. Isradipine (3 mg/kg) attenuated cue-associated meth-seeking in both male and female mice. In contrast, rasagiline (1 mg/kg) had no effect on seeking in either sex. These results suggest that isradipine may have the potential to serve as a dual-purpose pharmacotherapy for meth use disorders by attenuating seeking behavior and providing neuroprotection.

L-type calcium channel antagonist isradipine age-dependently decreases plaque associated dystrophic neurites in 5XFAD mouse model.

Epidemiological studies suggest that L-type calcium channel (LTCC) antagonists may reduce the incidence of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the neuroprotective mechanism of LTCC antagonists is unknown. Amyloid-ß (Aß) pathology disrupts intracellular calcium signaling, which regulates lysosomes and microglial responses. Neurons near Aß plaques develop dystrophic neurites, which are abnormal swellings that accumulate lysosomes. Further, microglia accumulate around Aß plaques and secrete inflammatory cytokines. We hypothesized that antagonism of LTCCs with isradipine would reduce Aß plaque-associated dystrophic neurites and inflammatory microglia in the 5XFAD mouse model by restoring normal intracellular calcium regulation. To test this hypothesis, we treated 6- and 9-month-old 5XFAD mice with isradipine and tested behavior, examined Aß plaques, microglia, and dystrophic neurites. We found that isradipine treatment age-dependently reduces dystrophic neurites and leads to trending decreases in Aß but does not modulate plaque associated microglia regardless of age. Our findings provide insight into how antagonizing LTCCs alters specific cell types in the Aß plaque environment, providing valuable information for potential treatment targets in future AD studies.

Applications of isradipine in human addiction studies: A systematic literature review.

Given the personal and public health burden of addictive disorders, innovative approaches to treatment are sorely needed. This systematic review examined the use of the pharmacological agent isradipine in the context of potential applications for addiction treatment. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guided a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO between the years 1985 to July 2022. Studies were included if isradipine was administered to adults with a current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition diagnosis of a substance use disorder and/or to healthy volunteers alone and in conjunction with a substance (i.e, cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol). A total of 16 studies with 252 participants were included in this review. Substantial variability was identified with study designs, isradipine dosages/dosing, and addictive substance of interest. Outcomes clustered in four categories: (a) cerebral blood flow (CBF), (b) hemodynamic effects, (c) subjective effects, and (d) cognitive effects. Isradipine was found to improve CBF in individuals with cocaine-induced hypoperfusion and in several studies was found to reduce parameters of blood pressure elevation after stimulant use. There were no significant findings on isradipine's effect on subjective reporting (i.e., craving, mood, drug affect) or cognition/attention. Given the limited number of studies identified in this review, there is insufficient data to draw clear conclusions. The direct effects of isradipine as a pharmacologic agent for addictive disorder treatment appear minimal, however, future work may benefit from examining the impact of isradipine as an augmentative agent within existing cue exposure paradigms for preventing cue-induced drug relapse. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Germline de novo variant F747S extends the phenotypic spectrum of CACNA1D Ca2+ channelopathies.

Germline gain-of-function missense variants in the pore-forming Cav1.3 α1-subunit (CACNA1D gene) confer high risk for a severe neurodevelopmental disorder with or without endocrine symptoms. Here, we report a 4-week-old new-born with the novel de novo missense variant F747S with a so far not described prominent jittering phenotype in addition to symptoms previously reported for CACNA1D mutations including developmental delay, elevated aldosterone level and transient hypoglycemia. We confirmed the pathogenicity of this variant in whole-cell patch-clamp experiments with wild-type and F747S mutant channels heterologously expressed together with α2δ1 and cytosolic ß3 or membrane-bound ß2a subunits. Mutation F747S caused the quantitatively largest shift in the voltage dependence of activation (-28 mV) reported so far for CACNA1D germline mutations. It also shifted inactivation to more negative voltages, slowed the time course of current inactivation and slowed current deactivation upon repolarization with both co-expressed ß-subunits. In silico modelling and molecular docking, simulations revealed that this gain-of-function phenotype can be explained by formation of a novel inter-domain hydrogen bond between mutant residues S747 (IIS6) with N1145 (IIIS6) stabilizing selectively the activated open channel state. F747S displayed 2-6-fold increased sensitivity for the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker isradipine compared to wild type. Our data confirm the pathogenicity of the F747S variant with very strong gain-of-function gating changes, which may contribute to the novel jittering phenotype. Increased sensitivity for isradipine suggests this drug for potential symptomatic off-label treatment for carriers of this mutation.

Nanostructured lipid carriers of isradipine for effective management of hypertension and isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction.

The objective of the present paper is to formulate nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) of a calcium channel blocker, isradipine, to enhance its oral bioavailability and prolong its antihypertensive effect apart from evaluating efficacy of the formulation in isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats. Formulation was optimized using quality by design (QbD)-based approach. Three factors i.e., total lipid concentration (%), homogenization pressure (bar), and number of cycles were optimized through Box-Behnken design to estimate their effect on critical quality attributes (CQAs) viz., size (nm), % entrapment efficiency, and in vitro % drug release which were found to be 80.9 ± 1.7 nm, 83.51 ± 2.15%, and 83.3 ± 3.86% after 24 h, respectively. In vivo pharmacokinetic study indicated 4.207 and 1.907 times increase in the oral bioavailability of optimized nanostructured lipid carrier without and with cycloheximide (lymphatic transport inhibitor), respectively. Treatment with ISO (isoproterenol) significantly diverges the levels of antioxidant marker, TBARS (thiobarbituric acid), and ultrastructure of the cardiac tissue indicating significant myocardial damage. Pretreatment of nanostructured lipid carrier of isradipine (ISD-NLCs) significantly prevented the antioxidant status and ultrastructural changes in the heart. In conclusion, this study confirms that optimized NLCs can substantially improve oral bioavailability of isradipine and presents a promising strategy in the management of hypertension for longer duration of time apart from demonstrating its preclinical efficacy in cardioprotection.

Formulation and Evaluation of Isradipine Nanosuspension and Exploring its Role as a Potential Anticancer Drug by Computational Approach.

BACKGROUND: T-type calcium channels are aberrantly expressed in different human cancers and regulate cell cycle progression, proliferation, migration, and survival. FAK-1 can promote tumor protein degradation (p53) through ubiquitination, leading to cancer cell growth and proliferation. Similar findings are obtained regarding protease inhibitors' effect on cytokine-induced neutrophil activation that suppresses Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulatingfactor (GM-CSF) TNF-α-induced O2 release and adherence in human neutrophils without affecting phosphorylation of Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38. Nanosuspensions are carrier-free, submicron colloidal dispersions, which consist of pure drugs and stabilizers. Incorporating drug loaded in nanosuspensions offer a great advantages of passive drug targeting with improved solubility, stability, and bioavailability, as well as lower systemic toxicity. OBJECTIVE: The present investigation objective was to establish a molecular association of Protease and Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 as cancer targets for isradipine, a calcium channel blocker (CCB). Furthermore, the study also aimed to formulate its optimized nanosuspension and how the physical, morphological, and dissolution properties of isradipine impact nanosuspension stability. METHODS: Five different molecular targets, namely Cysteine Proteases (Cathepsin B), Serine Proteases (Matriptase), Aspartate Proteases, Matrix Metalloproteases (MMP), and FAK-1 were obtained from RCSB-PDB, which has some potential associations with inhibition in cancer pathogenesis. Molecular interactions of these targets with CCB isradipine were identified and established by molecular simulation docking studies. Isradipine-loaded nanosuspension was prepared by precipitation technique by employing a 23 factorial design. PVP K-30, poloxamer 188, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) were used as polymer, co-polymer, and surfactant, respectively. The nanosuspension particles were assessed for particle size, zeta potential, viscosity, polydispersity index (PDI), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), In-vitro drug release kinetics, and short-term stability study. RESULTS: Considerable interactions were found with Cysteine, Serine, Aspartate, Threonine, and Matrix metalloproteases with binding energies of -3.91, -6.7, -3.48, -8.42, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction of isradipine with FAK-1 was compared with 7 native ligands and was found to show significant interaction with binding energies of - 8.62, -7.27, -7.69, -5.67, -5.41, -7.44, -8.21, respectively. The optimized nanosuspension was evaluated and exhibited a particle size of 754.9 nm, zeta potential of 32.5 mV, viscosity of 1.287 cp, and PDI of 1.000. The In-vitro dissolution of the optimized formulation (F8) was found to be higher (96.57%) as compared to other formulations. CONCLUSION: Isradipine could act as a potential inhibitor of different proteases and FAK-1 associated with tumor growth initiation, progression, and metastasis. Furthermore, isradipine-loaded nanosuspension with optimized release could be utilized to deliver the anticancer drug in a more targeted way as emerging cancer nanotechnology.

Re-Analysis of the STEADY-PD II Trial-Evidence for Slowing the Progression of Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Recent examination of the STEADY-PD III isradipine clinical trial data concluded that early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) participants who had longer exposure to isradipine had a significant delay in their need for symptomatic medication, as well as a lower medication burden at the end of the trial. These findings suggest that greater exposure to isradipine might slow disease progression. OBJECTIVES: To test this hypothesis, the data from the STEADY-PD II isradipine clinical trial, in which an extended-release (ER) formulation of the drug was used, was re-examined. METHODS: The re-analysis of the STEADY-PD II data was restricted to participants assigned placebo or tolerable isradipine treatment (10 mg isradipine/day or less). The effect of isradipine treatment was assessed by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) at the end of the 52-week trial, rather than by last observation carried forward at the beginning of symptomatic therapy. RESULTS: Participant cohorts were well-matched for baseline disability, initial disease progression, and time to initiation of symptomatic therapy. Participants given 10 mg/day ER isradipine had significantly smaller total and part 3 UPDRS scores at the end of the trial than did the placebo cohort. Post hoc adjustment for symptomatic therapy diminished the statistical significance of these differences. In those participants not taking a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, the progression in UPDRS scores also was significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with the recent secondary analysis of the STEADY-PD III clinical trial-suggesting that clinically attainable brain exposure to isradipine may slow early-stage PD progression. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Isradipine plasma pharmacokinetics and exposure-response in early Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Isradipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel inhibitor that has demonstrated concentration-dependent neuroprotective effects in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) but failed to show efficacy in a phase 3 clinical trial. The objectives of this study were to model the plasma pharmacokinetics of isradipine in study participants from the phase 3 trial; and, to investigate associations between drug exposure and longitudinal clinical outcome measures of PD progression. METHODS: Plasma samples from nearly all study participants randomized to immediate-release isradipine 5-mg twice daily (166 of 170) were collected for population pharmacokinetic modeling. Estimates of isradipine exposure included apparent oral clearance and area under the concentration-time curve. Isradipine exposure parameters were tested for correlations with 36-month changes in disease severity clinical assessment scores, and time-to-event analyses for initiation of antiparkinson therapy. RESULTS: Isradipine exposures did not correlate with the primary clinical outcome, changes in the antiparkinson therapy-adjusted Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale parts I-III score over 36 months (Spearman rank correlation coefficient, rs : 0.09, P = 0.23). Cumulative levodopa equivalent dose at month 36 was weakly correlated with isradipine plasma clearance (rs : 0.18, P = 0.035). This correlation was sex dependent and significant in males, but not females. Those with higher isradipine exposure had decreased risk of needing antiparkinson treatment over 36 months compared with placebo (hazard ratio: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78-0.98, P = 0.02). INTERPRETATION: In this clinical trial, higher isradipine plasma exposure did not affect clinical assessment measures of PD severity but modestly decreased cumulative levodopa equivalent dose and the time needed for antiparkinson treatment initiation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02168842.

Physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic characterization of isradipine tablets for controlled release.

Isradipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB) commonly used as vasodilator with antihypertensive properties. A remote-controlled release formulation for isradipine would substantially improve the clinical outcomes of the patients requiring chronic long-term treatment. In this work, sustained release (SR) tablets of isradipine, composed of hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), have been produced by wet granulation and their in vitro and in vivo characterization was compared to a conventional tablet dosage form of immediate release (IR) as preliminary assessment. Tablets composed of 15.0% (wt/wt) HPMC exhibited a SR profile over a period of 24 hours. The release of isradipine followed a Fickian diffusion pattern obeying to the first order kinetics and the extent of absorption was even higher in comparison to the developed conventional tablets, which showed immediate drug release. In vivo studies were carried out in rabbits, showing that the extent of isradipine absorption from the developed tablets was higher in comparison to IR tablets due to the modified release profile obtained for the former (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that SR tablets of isradipine are an efficient solid dosage form to overcome the limitations encountered in conventional IR tablets.

Dopamine Oppositely Modulates State Transitions in Striosome and Matrix Direct Pathway Striatal Spiny Neurons.

Corticostriatal synaptic integration is partitioned among striosome (patch) and matrix compartments of the dorsal striatum, allowing compartmentalized control of discrete aspects of behavior. Despite the significance of such organization, it's unclear how compartment-specific striatal output is dynamically achieved, particularly considering new evidence that overlap of afferents is substantial. We show that dopamine oppositely shapes responses to convergent excitatory inputs in mouse striosome and matrix striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). Activation of postsynaptic D1 dopamine receptors promoted the generation of long-lasting synaptically evoked "up-states" in matrix SPNs but opposed it in striosomes, which were more excitable under basal conditions. Differences in dopaminergic modulation were mediated, in part, by dendritic voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs): pharmacological manipulation of L-type VGCCs reversed compartment-specific responses to D1 receptor activation. These results support a novel mechanism for the selection of striatal circuit components, where fluctuating levels of dopamine shift the balance of compartment-specific striatal output.

Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: Associations between subjective and objective cognitive decline in a large longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline creates substantial morbidity and cost in Parkinson's disease (PD) and clinicians have limited tools for counseling patients on prognosis. We aimed to use data from a randomized, controlled trial of isradipine in Parkinson's disease (STEADY-PD III) to determine which objective cognitive domain deficits drive patient complaints of cognitive symptoms. METHODS: Neuro-Quality of Life (Neuro-QoL) Cognition: General Concerns (GC), and Cognition: Executive Function (EF) (subjective measures), were administered at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 years in 324 people with PD. Baseline Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was divided into 4 domains: visuospatial/executive, memory, attention, and language (objective measures). Spearman rank correlations and multiple regression models adjusted for other clinical variables evaluated associations between baseline Neuro-QoL domains and individual MoCA domains. Multiple regression models evaluated the association between baseline MoCA domain performance and Neuro-QoL change over three years. Cox proportional hazards predicted development of PD-MCI based on baseline and time-varying Neuro-QoL reporting. RESULTS: Higher MoCA memory performance was associated with better Neuro-QoL-GC (ß = 0.75, SE = 0.391, p = 0.05) and Neuro-QoL-EF (ß = 0.81, SE = 0.36, p = 0.02) at baseline. There was a trend for baseline MoCA memory to predict the degree of subjective cognitive decline on the Neuro-QoL-EF (ß = 0.70, SE = 0.42, p = 0.09). Baseline depression and anticholinergic use were associated with worsened Neuro-QoL-EF and Neuro-QoL-GC. Increasing subjective cognitive complaints in Neuro-QoL-EF were associated with development of PD-MCI over 3 years of follow-up (HR = 0.95, CI = 0.90-1.0, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Objective memory impairment may be a stronger predictor than executive or visuospatial dysfunction for the presence of subjective cognitive complaints in early PD.

Adjunctive Raloxifene and Isradipine Improve Cognitive Functioning in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is the most important feature of schizophrenia leading to severe functional disability. To identify pathways that improve pathophysiological neurocognition in schizophrenia is a current challenge for the development of goal-directed clinical interventions. In the present study, we investigated the effects of raloxifene (a selective estrogen modulator) and isradipine (a voltage-gated L-type calcium channel blocker) on cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: We designed a double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. We randomized 60 patients with schizophrenia into 3 groups including isradipine 5 mg, raloxifine 60 mg, and placebo for 6 consequent weeks, all in the same shape capsules, 2 times a day, along with treatment as usual. The initial and final results of blood tests, electrocardiograms, and cognitive tests in specific domains, such as attention, processing speed, executive function, and verbal memory were evaluated. RESULTS: Our findings revealed a remarkable association between adjunctive raloxifene treatment and the alleviation of verbal memory deficits. Isradipine treatment significantly improved the verbal memory and attention dysfunction in some variables of the Stroop test, compared with the placebo. However, no effect was observed in processing speed and executive function deficits. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that isradipine is a novel therapy option improving verbal memory and attention, both related to its activity in the hippocampus and the cerebellum. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of action for both drugs in schizophrenia.

Isradipine enhancement of virtual reality cue exposure for smoking cessation: Rationale and study protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Cigarette smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, contributing to over 480,000 deaths each year. Although significant strides have been made in the development of effective smoking cessation treatments, most established interventions are associated with high relapse rates. One avenue for increasing the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions is to design focused, efficient, and rigorous experiments testing engagement of well-defined mechanistic targets. Toward this aim, the current protocol will apply a pharmacologic augmentation strategy informed by basic research in animal models of addiction. Our goal is to evaluate the enhancing effect of isradipine, an FDA-approved calcium channel blocker, on the extinction of craving-a key mechanism of drug relapse after periods of abstinence. To activate craving robustly in human participants, we will use multimodal smoking cues including novel 360° video environments developed for this project and delivered through consumer virtual reality headsets. Adult smokers will take either isradipine or placebo and complete the cue exposure protocol in a double-blind randomized control trial. In order to test the hypothesis that isradipine will enhance retention of craving extinction, participants will repeat cue exposure 24 h later without the administration of isradipine or placebo. The study will be implemented in a primary care setting where adult smokers receive healthcare, and smoking behavior will be tracked throughout the trial with ecological momentary assessment.

Isradipine Versus Placebo in Early Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Trial.

Background: Studies suggest that dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers may be associated with reduced risk for Parkinson disease (PD). Objective: To assess the effect of isradipine, a dihydropyridine calcium-channel blocker, on the rate of clinical progression of PD. Design: Multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02168842). Setting: 57 Parkinson Study Group sites in North America. Participants: Patients with early-stage PD (duration <3 years) who were not taking dopaminergic medications at enrollment. Intervention: 5 mg of immediate-release isradipine twice daily or placebo for 36 months. Measurements: The primary outcome was change in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) parts I to III score measured in the antiparkinson medication "ON" state between baseline and 36 months. Secondary outcomes included time to initiation and use of antiparkinson medications, time to onset of motor complications, change in nonmotor disability, and quality-of-life measures. Results: 336 patients were randomly assigned (mean age, 62 years [SD, 9]; 68% men; disease duration, 0.9 year [SD, 0.7]; mean UPDRS part I to III score, 23.1 [SD, 8.6]); 95% of patients completed the study. Adjusted least-squares mean changes in total UPDRS score in the antiparkinson medication ON state over 36 months for isradipine and placebo recipients were 2.99 (95% CI, 0.95 to 5.03) points versus 3.26 (CI, 1.25 to 5.26) points, respectively, with a treatment effect of -0.27 (CI, -3.02 to 2.48) point (P = 0.85). Statistical adjustment for antiparkinson medication use did not change the findings. Secondary outcomes showed no effect of isradipine treatment. The most common adverse effects of isradipine were edema and dizziness. Limitation: The isradipine dose may have been insufficient to engage the target calcium channels associated with neuroprotective effects. Conclusion: Long-term treatment with immediate-release isradipine did not slow the clinical progression of early-stage PD. Primary Funding Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.