Felodipine is a medication used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Untreated hypertension can lead to a heart attack, heart disease or stroke. High sodium intake can contribute to hypertension. Felodipine works by blocking calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle cells, stabilizing these voltage-gated L-type calcium channels, which will stop calcium-dependent myocyte vasoconstriction. This widens the blood vessels, allowing for more blood to pass through, lowering blood pressure. When used to treat angina, felodipine acts through improving the amount of blood pumping to the heart. Hypertension is a very common condition in North America, and can be managed with medication, diet and a healthy lifestyle. This pathway depicts the pharmacological action of felodipine on arterial smooth muscle cells. Felodipine decreases arterial smooth muscle contractility and subsequent vasoconstriction by inhibiting the influx of calcium ions through L-type calcium channels. Calcium ions entering the cell through these channels bind to calmodulin. Calcium-bound calmodulin then binds to and activates myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). Activated MLCK catalyzes the phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain subunit of myosin, a key step in muscle contraction. Signal amplification is achieved by calcium-induced calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through ryanodine receptors. Inhibition of the initial influx of calcium decreases the contractile activity of arterial smooth muscle cells and results in vasodilation. The vasodilatory effects of felodipine result in an overall decrease in blood pressure. Felodipine may be used to treat mild to moderate essential hypertension. .

Felodipine Pathway References