Calcium Channels in Vascular Smooth Muscle.

Calcium (Ca) plays a central role in excitation, contraction, transcription, and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMs). Precise regulation of intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca]) is crucial for proper physiological VSM function. Studies over the last several decades have revealed that VSMs express a variety of Ca-permeable channels that orchestrate a dynamic, yet finely tuned regulation of [Ca]. In this review, we discuss the major Ca-permeable channels expressed in VSM and their contribution to vascular physiology and pathology.