Cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating vascular tone. Part 2: regulatory mechanisms modulating Ca2+ mobilization and/or myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in vascular smooth muscle cells
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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Assessment of Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity Underlying Cardiac Excitation-contraction Coupling
Published on: August 1, 2016
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Abstract:
Understanding the physiological mechanisms regulating vascular tone would lead to better circulatory management during general anesthesia. This two-part review provides an overview of current knowledge about the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the contractile state of vascular smooth muscle cells (i.e., vascular tone). The first part reviews basic mechanisms controlling the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in vascular smooth muscle cells, and the Ca2+-dependent regulation of vascular tone. This second part reviews the regulatory mechanisms modulating Ca2+ mobilization and/or myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in vascular smooth muscle cells-including Rho/Rho kinase, protein kinase C, arachidonic acid, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, caldesmon, calponin, mitogen-activated protein kinases, tyrosine kinases, cyclic nucleotides, Cl- channels, and K+ channels.
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