title: Antioxidant effects and the therapeutic mode of action of calcium channel blockers in hypertension and atherosclerosis.
abstract: Drugs currently known as calcium channel blockers (CCB) were initially called calcium antagonists because of their ability to inhibit calcium-evoked contractions in depolarized smooth muscles. Blocking the entry of calcium reduces the active tone of vascular smooth muscle and produces vasodilatation. This pharmacological property has been the basis for the use of CCBs in the management of hypertension and coronary heart disease. A major question is whether drugs reducing blood pressure have other effects that help prevent the main complications of hypertension, such as atherosclerosis, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure and end-state renal disease. Experimental studies that focus on this question are reviewed in the present paper.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine, Université Catholique de Louvain Laboratoire de Pharmacologie UCL5410, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium. godfraind@farl.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: Théophile
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Godfraind
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels; D004095:Dihydropyridines; C060285:lacidipine