Calcium Channels in Vascular Smooth Muscle

Calcium (Ca2+) plays a central role in excitation, contraction, transcription, and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMs). Precise regulation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) is crucial for proper physiological VSM function. Studies over the last several decades have revealed that VSMs express a variety of Ca2+-permeable channels that orchestrate a dynamic, yet finely tuned regulation of [Ca2+]i. In this review, we discuss the major Ca2+-permeable channels expressed in VSM and their contribution to vascular physiology and pathology.