In addition to playing a significant role in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling, intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) can regulate gene expression. While the mechanisms regulating expression of Ca2+ channels are not entirely defined, some evidence exists for Ca2+-dependent regulation. Using an adult ventricular myocyte culture system, we determined the effects of Ca2+ on: (1) abundance of mRNA for L-type Ca2+ channel alpha1 subunit (DHP receptor); (2) amount of DHP receptors; and (3) whole-cell Ca2+ current (ICa). Rat ventricular myocytes were cultured for 1-3 days in serum-free medium containing either normal (1.8 mM) or high (4.8 mM) Ca2+. Exposing myocytes to high Ca2+ rapidly elevated [Ca2+]i as determined by fura-2. Northern blot analysis revealed that culturing cells in high Ca2+ produced 1.5-fold increase in mRNA levels for the DHP receptor. The abundance of DHP receptors, determined by ligand binding, was two-fold greater in myocytes after 3 days in high Ca2+. Moreover, peak ICa was larger in myocytes cultured for 3 days in high Ca2+ (-17.8+/-1.5 pA/pF, n=26) than in control cells (-11.0+/-1.0 pA/pF, n=23). Voltage-dependent activation and inactivation, rates of current decay, as well as percent increases in ICa elicited by Bay K8644 were similar in all groups. Therefore, larger ICa is likely to represent a greater number of functional channels with unchanged kinetics. Our data support the conclusion that transient changes in [Ca2+]i can modulate DHP receptor mRNA and protein abundance, producing a corresponding change in functional Ca2+ channels in adult ventricular myocytes.