Division of Biomedical Sciences, St George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, UK.
Br J Pharmacol. 2013 Jan;168(1):19-27. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02133.x.
Retigabine is a first in class anticonvulsant that has recently undergone clinical trials to test its efficacy in epileptic patients. Retigabine's novel mechanism of action - activating Kv7 channels - suppresses neuronal activity to prevent seizure generation by hyperpolarizing the membrane potential and suppressing depolarizing surges. However, Kv7 channels are not expressed exclusively in neurones and data generated over the last decade have shown that Kv7 channels play a key role in various smooth muscle systems of the body. This review discusses the potential of targeting Kv7 channels in the smooth muscle to treat diseases such as hypertension, bladder instability, constipation and preterm labour.
瑞替加滨是一种新型抗癫痫药物,最近已进行临床试验以测试其在癫痫患者中的疗效。瑞替加滨的新颖作用机制——激活 Kv7 通道——通过超极化膜电位和抑制去极化波来抑制神经元活动,从而防止癫痫发作。然而,Kv7 通道并非仅在神经元中表达,过去十年的数据表明,Kv7 通道在体内各种平滑肌系统中发挥着关键作用。本文综述了针对平滑肌 Kv7 通道治疗高血压、膀胱不稳定、便秘和早产等疾病的潜力。