Channel blocker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A channel blocker (CB) or ion channel blocker (ICB) is a type of drug which binds inside the pore of a specific type of ion channel and blocks the flow of ions through it, resulting in an alteration of the electrochemical gradient of the cell membrane of neurons and therefore a change in neurotransmission.
[edit] Types of Channel Blockers
There are several different major classes of channel blockers, including:
- Calcium (Ca2+) channel blockers
- Chloride (Cl-) channel blockers
- Potassium (K+) channel blockers
- Sodium (Na+) channel blockers
The following types which act on ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) via binding to their pore also exist:
- 5-HT3 receptor antagonists
- AMPA receptor antagonists
- GABAA receptor antagonists
- Glycine receptor antagonists
- Kainate receptor antagonists
- nACh receptor antagonists
- NMDA receptor antagonists
- P2X receptor antagonists
- Zinc (Zn2+)-activated channel antagonists
These types of receptor antagonists are referred to as noncompetitive or uncompetitive.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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