Calcium channel blocker in patients with chronic kidney disease

Figures

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  Fig. 1. Structure of calcium channel. The voltage-dependent calcium channels are localized in the plasma membrane and are essential for the release of neurotransmitters and hormones. These channels are classified into L-, P/Q-, N-, R-, and T-type subtypes based on their pharmacological and electrophysiological properties. Molecular biological analysis has shown that calcium channels are composed of α1, α2/δ, β, and γ subunits, among which α1 subunits are most important for defining channel properties. The N-type and L-type structures are shown. The γ subunit is deficient in N-type calcium channels

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  Fig. 2. Classification of calcium channel. The calcium channels are classified into L-, P/Q-, N-, R-, and T-type subtypes based on their pharmacological and electrophysiological properties. The α1 subunit genes have been cloned and classified into the following three subfamilies based on their sequence similarity: Cav1.x, Cav2.x, and Cav3.x. Ten calcium channel α1 gene names are described in italic

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  Fig. 3. Localization of calcium channels in glomeruli. A L-type, P/Q-type and T-type are reported to localize in mesangial cells. T-type is expressed on podocytes and is also involved in the sympathetic nerve. Regarding afferent and efferent arterioles, both T-type and N-type are expressed, but L-type is reported only in afferent arterioles. B Double immunostaining for Cav2.2 (brown) and WT1 (blue) shows double positive cells in a glomerulus. This figure is modified from the article [31]. CC calcium channel

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  Fig. 4. Alleviation of mesangial expansion and urinary albumin excretion in diabetic Cav2.2−/− mice. A Time course of urinary albumin excretion per milligram creatinine of experimental mice. Urinary albumin excretion of both db/db Cav2.2−/− and db/db Cav2.2+/– mice was lower than that of db/db Cav2.2+/+ mice. db/ + Cav2.2+/+ mice (white circles), db/ + Cav2.2+/– mice (white triangles), db/ + Cav2.2−/− mice (white squares), db/db Cav2.2+/+ mice (black circles), db/db Cav2.2± mice (black triangles), and db/db Cav2.2−/− mice (black squares). B A glomerulus of mice at 16 weeks of age in each mouse. C Mesangial area was increased in diabetic Cav2.2+/+ mice and was suppressed in diabetic Cav2.2−/− mice. This figure is modified from the article [31]