Regulation of cytosolic calcium levels in vascular smooth muscle

Ca2+ plays an important role in the contraction of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle, as well as in a number of important processes, such as secretion and neuronal activity. In this review, I focus on the various mechanisms by which cytosolic Ca2+ concentration is regulated in vascular smooth muscle, in the resting state and during activation. Particular attention is paid to the calcium pumps of the plasmalemma and the sarcoplasmic reticulum, to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate- and ryanodine-sensitive calcium channels of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and to voltage dependent and voltage-independent calcium channels of the plasmalemma.