Journal
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
Volume 164, Issue 3, Pages 884-893Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01317.x
Keywords
calcium-sensing receptor; G-protein; seven-transmembrane receptor; vascular tone; calcimimetics
Categories
Funding
- Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia
- Villadsen Family Foundation
- Copenhagen University
- [20590974]
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Calcium is a crucial second messenger in the cardiovascular system. However, calcium may also be an extracellular first messenger through a G-protein-coupled receptor that senses extracellular concentration (Ca-o(2+)), the calcium-sensing receptor (CaR). The most prominent physiological function of the CaR is to maintain the extracellular Ca2+ level in a very tight range by regulating the circulating levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH). This control over PTH and Ca2+ levels is partially lost in patients suffering from primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Allosteric modulators of the CaR (calcimimetics) are the first drugs in their class to become available for clinical use and have been shown to successfully treat certain forms of primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism. In addition, several studies suggest beneficial effects of calcimimetics on cardiovascular risk factors associated with hyperparathyroidism. Although a plethora of studies demonstrated the CaR in heart and blood vessels, exact roles of the receptor in the cardiovascular system still remain to be elucidated. However, several studies point toward a possibility that the CaR might be involved in the regulation of vascular tone. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the possible functions of the CaR and calcimimetics on blood pressure regulation.
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