Calcium Channels: Their Properties, Functions, Regulation, and Clinical Relevance

The most comprehensive compendium of information available on calcium channels

Calcium channels are a common component of the membranes of a wide range of excitable cells, and their presence is crucial to the functioning of these cells. This book presents a current review of the biophysics, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical role of calcium channels. Chapters discussing the biophysics of calcium channels include topics in ion permeation, channel activation, channel inactivation, and second messenger modulation. The chapters on physiology cover excitation-contraction coupling, excitation-secretion coupling, sensory transduction, regulation of electrical activity, and the regulation of cell growth and development. Issues discussed in the pharmacology chapters of the book include the effects of permeant and inhibitory inorganic ions, blocking and activating effects of organic ions, and the regulatory effects of naturally occurring compounds. The chapters exploring the clinical aspects of calcium channels examine topics such as the modulation of calcium channels in the treatment of ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, peripheral vascular diseases, platelet-related disorders, neurological disorders, and psychiatric disorders. Physicians neuroscientists, and pharmacologists should consider this book essential to their reference collections.