Table 1.

Ion channels and the control of blood pressure

Ion channel	Location where channel influences blood pressure	Effect of increased channel activity on blood pressure	Drugs which open ion channel	Effect of decreased channel activity on blood pressure	Drugs which block ion channel
Epithelial sodium channel	Renal collecting duct	Increases blood pressure (Liddle's syndrome, T594M mutation?)		Decreases blood pressure (Pseudohypoaldosteronism)	Amiloride, triamterene
Renal outer medullary potassium channel (ROM K)	Kidney (loop of Henle)			Low/normal blood pressure (Bartter's syndrome)	Glibenclamide
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR)	?Renal tubules ??Sweat ducts			Some evidence for low blood pressure (Cystic fibrosis)
Cation channel	Vascular endothelial cells	?Lowers blood pressure	LP-805
Voltage-gated calcium channel	Vascular smooth muscle cells			Lowers blood pressure	Nifedipine Amlodipine Diltiazem Verapamil
ATP-sensitive potassium channel	Vascular smooth muscle cells	Lowers blood pressure	Nicorandil Cromokalim Pinacidil	Increases blood pressure	Glibenclamide