Calcium channels in anesthesia management: A molecular and clinical review.
Molecular pain January 1, 2025 Mostafa Saberian, Afzal Shamsi, Mahdieh Mehrab Mohseni et al.
Calcium channels are central to anesthesia by controlling calcium ion flow that regulates neurotransmitter release, neuronal activity, and immune responses. Voltage-gated and ligand-gated calcium channels, including T-type and NMDA receptors, influence consciousness and pain. Anesthetic agents inhibit these channels directly or modulate signaling pathways like phosphatidylinositol metabolism. Calcium channelopathies—genetic or acquired channel dysfunctions—complicate anesthesia, risking arrhythmias, malignant hyperthermia, and altered drug sensitivity. The review calls for precision medicine to manage such patients. Despite progress, gaps remain about long-term effects of anesthetics on calcium signaling. Integrating molecular insights with pharmacogenomics may improve anesthetic safety and effectiveness.