Symphony of Vascular Contraction

Symphony of vascular contraction: how smooth muscle cells lose harmony to signal increased vascular resistance in hypertension.

Serotonylation of Vascular Proteins Important to Contraction

BACKGROUND Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) was named for its source (sero-) and ability to modify smooth muscle tone (tonin). The biological effects of 5-HT are believed to be carried out by stimulation of serotonin receptors at the plasma membrane. Serotonin has recently been shown to be synthesized in vascular smooth muscle and taken up from external sources, placing 5-HT inside the cel...

Vascular smooth muscle contraction in hypertension

Hypertension is a major risk factor for many common chronic diseases, such as heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, vascular dementia, and chronic kidney disease. Pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to the development of hypertension include increased vascular resistance, determined in large part by reduced vascular diameter due to increased vascular contraction and arterial remo...

Oxygen and vascular smooth muscle contraction.

DETAR, REED, AND DAVID F. BOHR. Oxygen and vascular smooth muscle contraction. Am. J. Physiol. 214(Z): 241-244. 1968.-Oxygen tension is an important determinant of the contractile tension developed by isolated helical strips of rabbit aorta. A decrease in PO:! below 100 mm Hg causes the contractile response to epinephrine (l-3 pg/liter) to diminish linearly to near zero levels at < 1 mm Hg. If ...

Calcium and vascular smooth muscle contraction.

Radioactive calcium flux in rabbit aorta was studied to evaluate factors regulating the movement of calcium into and out of the cell. Calcium content was estimated both from (1) the amount of Ca present in the tissue and the specific activity of Ca in the bathing medium, and (2) determination of chemical calcium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Calcium efflux was followed by washing aort...