PHARMACOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF INTRACELLULAR CA2- PROBLEMS AND PITFALLS(SIGNALING )

The complex changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration that follow ce ll stimulation reflect the concerted activities of Ca2+ channels in th e plasma membrane and in the membranes of intracellular stores, and th e opposing actions of the mechanisms that extrude Ca2+ from the cytoso l. Disentangling the roles of each of these processes is hampered by t he lack of adequately selective pharmacological tools. In this review, Colin Taylor and Lisa Broad summarize the more serious problems assoc iated with some of the commonly used drugs, and describe specific situ ations in which the multiple effects of drugs on Ca2+-signalling pathw ays have confused analysis of these pathways.