Investigational calcium channel blockers for the treatment of hypertension

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels are the primary route of Ca2+ entry in vascular smooth muscle cells, playing a key role in the regulation of arterial tone and blood pressure. Since the 60´s, L-type Ca2+ channel blockers (CCBs) have been widely used for the treatment of hypertension. Areas covered: T-type Ca2+ channels regulate vascular tone in small-resistance vessels and aldosterone secretion, and N-type channels expressed in sympathetic nerve...