title: Calcium channel functions in pain processing.
abstract: Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) play obligatory physiological roles, including modulation of neuronal: functions, synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitter release and gene transcription. Dysregulation and maladaptive changes in VGCC expression and activities may occur in the sensory pathway under various pathological conditions that could contribute to the development of pain. In this review, we summarized the most recent findings on the regulation of VGCC expression and physiological functions in the sensory pathway, and in dysregulation and maladaptive changes of VGCC under pain-inducing conditions. The implications of: these changes in understanding the mechanisms of pain transduction and in new drug design are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of California-Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Z David
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017288:Pain Threshold; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D015220:Calcium Channels