Mechanism of Action of Calcium-Channel-Blocking Agents

Calcium ions (Ca++) are vital in many biologic processes, including a variety of enzymatic reactions, activation of excitable cells, coupling of electrical activation to cellular secretion, hemostasis, and the metabolism of bone. The development of drugs that interfere with the entry of Ca++ into cells — variously termed Ca++-channel blockers, Ca++-entry blockers, Ca++ antagonists, and slow-channel blockers — has provided the basic scientist with powerful new tools for the study of the role of this ion in normal as well as pathologic states and has provided the clinician with several important new therapeutic agents for use in . . .