Caffeine's Vascular Mechanisms of Action

Table 1

Summary of the vascular effects of caffeine.

Structure	Type of effect	Effect	Reference
Endothelium	Direct	Activates the ryanodine channels in the ER	Zucchi,1997 [27]
			Endo, 1977 [28]
VSMC	Direct	Activates the ryanodine channels in the ER	Karaki, 1988 [29]
		Activates the nonselective channel for cations	Guerrero, 1994 [30]
		Inhibits the cAMP phosphodiesterase	Butcher, 1963 [31]; Ahn, 1988 [32]
			Hatano, 1995 [33]
		Inhibits the IP3 receptor	Missiaen, 1994 [34]
		Inhibits MLC kniase	Ozaki, 1990 [35]
		Increases “noncontractile” Ca^2+	Rembold, 1995 [36]
		Inhibits voltage-dependent Ca^2+ channels	Martin, 1989 [37]; Hughes, 1990 [38]
		Blocks adenosine receptors	Sattin, 1970 [39]
VSMC	Indirect	Increases the production of nitric oxide	Hatano, 1995 [33]; Umemura, 2006 [40]
		Increases the production of renin	Tofovic, 1996 [41]; Jackson, 1991 [42]
		Stimulates the sympathetic system	Corti, 2002 [43]; Robertson, 1978 [44]

VSMC: vascular smooth muscle cell, ER: endoplasmic reticulum, Ca²⁺: calcium, and MLC: myosin light chain.