A 4-Decade Enigma, Two Researchers and a Wonderful History

In that rainy afternoon, the young researcher and his supervisor were preparing their daily experiment. On its course, there was a remaining solution containing Verapamil, a classical L-type CCB. In a relapse, the young researcher decided to add this solution (containing CCB) in the isolated smooth muscle neurogenic contraction system. There was no apparent reason for it! The smooth muscle was prior relaxed with a drug (rolipram) that increases the cAMP cytosolic concentration. Putatively, addition of verapamil in the isolated smooth muscle should enhance (much more) the relaxation of muscle contractions sympathetically-mediated! To his surprise, it was like that: the young researcher witnessed a drastic contraction of smooth muscle! Puzzled with what he had observed, the young researcher and his supervisor did not know the impact and the magnitude of their discovery until that time."