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Modulators of intracellular calcium
Author(s) -
Winquist Raymond J.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.430040303
Subject(s) - calcium , extracellular , calcium in biology , intracellular , calmodulin , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , t type calcium channel , calcium atpase , biophysics , verapamil , myosin light chain kinase , vascular smooth muscle , biochemistry , calcium channel , biology , myosin , endocrinology , atpase , smooth muscle , enzyme , organic chemistry
The importance of calcium in excitation‐contraction coupling in both cardiac and vascular smooth muscle has resulted in an intense research interest into the intracellular regulation of this ion. Selective foci for the modulation of intracellular calcium include the interaction of calcium with the contractile protein apparatus, sites of calcium release and sequestration, and pathways for the extrusion of calcium into the extracellular space. Research efforts directed towards elucidating these phenomena have met with varied degrees of success. The presence of different calcium regulatory systems for contractile protein function, i.e., troponin in cardiac and calmodulin‐myosin light chain kinase in vascular, provides an attractive rationale for the design of selective compounds. The inherent difficulty in studying intracellular release and sequestration presently presently precludes examining the physiological implications of specific inhibition of these phenomena. However, the apparent absence of a sodium‐dependent calcium extrusion pathway in vascular tissue may lead to the design of novel cardiotonics. It is anticipated that further clarification of the similarities and differences in the calcium cycle between these tissues will result in the development of tissue‐selective therapeutic agents.