TRPC5 in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), especially acute myocardial infarction, are the leading cause of death, morbidity and disability across the world, affecting millions of people each year. Atherosclerosis (AS) is the major cause of CVD, and is a chronic inflammation involving different cell types and various molecular mechanisms. Ca2+ dynamics of endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) exert a significant influence on many aspects of CVD. Transient receptor potential channel 5 (TRPC5) is a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, which consists of a large number of nonselective cation channels with variable degrees of Ca2+-permeability. As a Ca2+-permeable cation channel, Human TRPC5 is expressed in a number of cell types, including ECs and muscle cells, as well as lungs and kidneys. TRPC5 is involved in renal, tumorous, neuronal and vascular diseases. In recent years, the roles of TRPC5 in CVD have been widely implicated in various disorders, such as AS, cardiac hypertrophy and blood pressure regulation. The TRPC5 mechanism of action may be associated with regulation of calcium homeostasis, oxidative stress and apoptosis. In this review, we highlight the significant roles of TRPC5 in the heart, and evaluate the potential of therapeutics targets which block TRPC5 for the treatment of CVD and related diseases.