Spotted fever rickettsia-induced microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction is delayed by the calcium channel blocker benidipine.

The tick-borne bacterium Rickettsia parkeri is an obligate intracellular pathogen that belongs to spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR). The SFG pathogens are characterized by their ability to infect and rapidly proliferate inside host vascular endothelial cells that eventually result in impairment of vascular endothelium barrier functions. Benidipine, a wide range dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, is used to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we tested whether benidipine has protective effects against rickettsia-induced microvascular endothelial cell barrier dysfunction in vitro. We utilized an in vitro vascular model consisting of transformed human brain microvascular endothelial cells (tHBMECs) and continuously monitored transendothelial electric resistance (TEER) across the cell monolayer. We found that during the late stages of infection when we observed TEER decrease and when there was a gradual increase of the cytoplasmic [Ca2+], benidipine prevented these rickettsia-induced effects. In contrast, nifedipine, another cardiovascular dihydropyridine channel blocker specific for L-type Ca2+ channels, did not prevent R. parkeri-induced drop of TEER. Additionally, neither drug was bactericidal. These data suggest that growth of R. parkeri inside endothelial cells is associated with impairment of endothelial cell monolayer integrity due to Ca2+ flooding through specific, benidipine-sensitive T- or N/Q-type Ca2+ channels but not through nifedipine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channels. Further study will be required to discern the exact nature of the Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ transporting system(s) involved, any contributions of the pathogen toward this process, as well as the suitability of benidipine and new dihydropyridine derivatives as complimentary therapeutic drugs against Rickettsia-induced vascular failure.