Description
Lercanidipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. It significantly countered wall thickening and luminal narrowing on small sized arteries. This compound and other similar dihydropyridine-type Ca2+ antagonists exert protective effect on retinal that include reduced thickness of retina and of inner plexiform, outer nuclear and layer of inner and outer segments plus outer limiting layer, and loss of ganglionic neurons. Lercanidipine consistently decreased MMP-9 activity and reduced oxidative stress in hypertensive patients. Lercanidipine treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) during 6 weeks was able to revert the deleterious effects of hypertension on cortical bone density and on the number of TRAP+ cells in the tibia of SHR.