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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro
Published on: February 15, 2022
Enhancement of vascular smooth muscle cell migration by urotensin II
Satoshi Matsusaka1, Ichiro Wakabayashi
1Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Iida-Nishi 2-2-2, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan.
Abstract:
The effects of urotensin II (UII) on migration of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were investigated. UII (1-100 nM) significantly increased velocity of HASMC motility in a concentration-dependent manner. Stress-fiber formation and ERK (p44/p42) activity were also increased by UII. U0126 and PD 98059, MEK inhibitors, abolished the effects of UII on motility velocity and stress-fiber formation. These results suggest that UII enhances HASMC migration through activation of an ERK-dependent pathway.
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