A calcium channel opener is a type of

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhal ...

which facilitates

ion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conven ...

transmission through

calcium channel A calcium channel is an ion channel which shows selective permeability to calcium ions. It is sometimes synonymous with voltage-gated calcium channel, although there are also ligand-gated calcium channels. Comparison tables The following tables ...

s. An example is

Bay K8644 Bay K8644 is a chemical compound that functions as an L-type calcium channel agonist. Bay K8644 is used primarily as a biochemical research tool for this effect. It is a structural analog of nifedipine Nifedipine (3,5-dimethyl 2,6-dimethyl-4 ...

, which is an analogue of

nifedipine Nifedipine (3,5-dimethyl 2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate), sold under the brand name Adalat and Procardia, among others, is a calcium channel blocker medication used to manage angina, high blood pressure, R ...

that specifically and directly activates L-type

voltage-dependent calcium channel Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), also known as voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs), are a group of voltage-gated ion channels found in the membrane of excitable cells (''e.g.'', muscle, glial cells, neurons, etc.) with a permeab ...

s. In contrast to Bay K8644, which is not for clinical use, ambroxol is a frequently used mucolytic drug that triggers lysosomal secretion by mobilizing calcium from acidic calcium stores. This effect does most likely not occur by a direct interaction between the drug and a lysosomal calcium channel, but indirectly by neutralizing the acidic pH within lysosomes. Calcium permeable ion channels in lysosomal membranes that may be activated by a luminal pH increase include two pore channels (TPCs), mucolipin TRP channels (TRPMLs) and purinergic receptors of the P2X channel type.

References

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See also

References