[Anti-inflammatory effect of nifedipine and vasculoprotection].

Many clinical reports suggest that nifedipine has vascular protective actions independent of its antihypertensive action; however, the precise mechanism for such a protective effect has not yet been elucidated. The effect of nifedipine on the pro-arteriosclerotic monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 expression in the blood vessel wall, was evaluated since the inflammatory markers are raised with arteriosclerosis. Nifedipine inhibited MCP-1 expression by inhibiting nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation. Furthermore, nifedipine inhibited vascular smooth muscle growth and improved vascular remodeling through these mechanisms. Thus, these data suggest that vascular protective action of nifedipine was at least partially independent of Ca2+ channel blockade and mediated by an anti-inflammatory effect.