Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Actin Filament Depolymerization01:19

Actin Filament Depolymerization

4.0K
Actin filaments (F-actin) are composed of actin subunits. The dissociation of actin monomers can occur from either end of F-actin. The rate of dissociation is faster from the minus-end or the pointed end, where the actin subunits exist with a bound ADP, together known as ADP-actin. The depolymerization of F-actin is aided by proteins, including the actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF) and cofilin family of proteins, gelsolin, and glia maturation factor (GMF).
In F-actin, the ADF/cofilin proteins...
4.0K
Antihypertensive Drugs: Vasodilators01:23

Antihypertensive Drugs: Vasodilators

2.3K
Vasodilators, primarily affecting the smooth muscles within arterial and venous walls, are commonly used for hypertension treatment. Medications such as minoxidil and hydralazine primarily target arteries and arterioles, while sodium nitroprusside acts on arterioles and venules. Minoxidil, functioning as a prodrug, is metabolized by hepatic sulfotransferase into its active form, minoxidil sulfate, after oral administration. This metabolite binds to the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) component of...
2.3K
Actin Treadmilling01:18

Actin Treadmilling

9.8K
Actin filaments undergo polymerization and depolymerization from either end. The polymerization and depolymerization rates depend on the cytosolic concentration of free G-actins. The polymerization rate is generally higher at the plus or barbed end, while the depolymerization rate is higher at the minus or pointed end. At a steady state, critical concentration describes the concentration of free G-actin monomers at which the polymerization rate at the plus end is equal to that of the...
9.8K
Introduction to Actin01:26

Introduction to Actin

6.6K
Actin is a highly conserved cytoskeletal protein found abundantly in eukaryotic cells. It constitutes 10% weight of the total cellular protein in muscle cells, while in non-muscle cells, it is lower and makes up around 1–5 percent of the total cell protein. Actin found in the unicellular amoebae and complex multicellular animals is around 80% similar, demonstrating their conservation over a billion years of evolution.  Actin coding genes are conserved within species and across...
6.6K
Actin Polymerization01:42

Actin Polymerization

8.6K
Actin polymerization occurs through the head-to-tail association of binding sites on monomeric actin or G-actin to form filamentous or F-actin. The polymerization can be divided into three phases ̶  nucleation, elongation, and steady-state phase.
The nucleation phase involves forming a stable nucleus consisting of three actin monomers to form a new actin filament. Actin-binding proteins such as formins and Arp2/3 complex help filament growth post-nucleation. The Formins form straight...
8.6K
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

1.6K
An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and...
1.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Unresolved mechanisms: a hypothesized spatial regulation of myosin light chain phosphorylation within the walls of resistance arteries.

Frontiers in physiology·2026
Same author

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Controls Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Coronary Arteries.

Thrombosis and haemostasis·2026
Same author

Smooth muscle cell estrogen receptor alpha promotes arterial stiffness in the absence of estradiol.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Inter-organ crosstalk in health and cardiovascular-renal-hepatic-metabolic disease: A multidisciplinary perspective.

Metabolism: clinical and experimental·2026
Same author

ALDH2 variants - a role in cardiometabolic syndrome.

Metabolism: clinical and experimental·2025
Same author

Adipose Tissue Circadian Clocks: Implications for Metabolism and Metabolic Dysfunction.

Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·2025
Same journal

Interpreting AIM2 dependency in CAWS-induced vasculitis in the context of prior inflammasome studies.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Coronary microvascular dysfunction: From diagnosis to therapy.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Microcirculatory Perfusion Pulsatility in Foot Sole Skin is a Marker of Treatment Response in Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Clinical Utility of Single Ventricular Stroke Work Index for Predicting Prognosis in Patients with Functional Single Ventricle.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Sex-Specific Responses in the Early Stages of Diet-Induced Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

The R120G Knock-in Mutation in αB-Crystallin is Insufficient to Induce Cardiomyopathy in Mice.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Isolation and Functional Analysis of Arteriolar Endothelium of Mouse Brain Parenchyma
06:40

Isolation and Functional Analysis of Arteriolar Endothelium of Mouse Brain Parenchyma

Published on: March 11, 2022

4.3K

Arteriolar vasodilation involves actin depolymerization.

Philip S Clifford1, Brian S Ferguson1, Jeffrey L Jasperse2

  • 1College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, Illinois.

American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology
|May 5, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vascular smooth muscle relaxation involves actin depolymerization, a key mechanism in vasodilation. This study shows that pinacidil and sodium nitroprusside induce actin depolymerization in arterioles, contributing to blood vessel dilation.

Keywords:
actin cytoskeletonmyosinvascular smooth muscle

More Related Videos

Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
07:46

Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000

Published on: October 15, 2010

44.5K
Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles
08:02

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles

Published on: May 5, 2022

3.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Isolation and Functional Analysis of Arteriolar Endothelium of Mouse Brain Parenchyma
06:40

Isolation and Functional Analysis of Arteriolar Endothelium of Mouse Brain Parenchyma

Published on: March 11, 2022

4.3K
Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
07:46

Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000

Published on: October 15, 2010

44.5K
Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles
08:02

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles

Published on: May 5, 2022

3.2K

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Vascular smooth muscle relaxation is traditionally attributed to hyperpolarization, reduced intracellular calcium, and phosphatase/kinase activity.
  • The role of the actin cytoskeleton in regulating vascular tone, particularly in resistance arterioles, requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that vasodilation in resistance arterioles is linked to the depolymerization of filamentous actin (F-actin).
  • To determine the specific mechanisms by which pinacidil and sodium nitroprusside induce vasodilation in rat arterioles.

Main Methods:

  • Rat cremaster muscles were isolated, and first-order arterioles were cannulated and pressurized.
  • Vessel diameter was monitored, and the concentration of globular actin (G-actin) was quantified using ultracentrifugation and Western blot analysis.
  • Myosin light chain phosphorylation levels were assessed in response to pharmacological agents.

Main Results:

  • Pinacidil and sodium nitroprusside caused significant vasodilation (approximately 40% increase in diameter).
  • Both agents significantly increased the G-actin-to-smooth muscle 22α ratio, indicating F-actin depolymerization.
  • Pinacidil reduced myosin light chain phosphorylation, while sodium nitroprusside did not significantly alter it.

Conclusions:

  • Actin depolymerization is a crucial mechanism contributing to vasodilation in resistance arterioles induced by pharmacological agonists.
  • Pinacidil-induced relaxation involves both decreased myosin light chain phosphorylation and actin depolymerization.
  • Sodium nitroprusside-mediated relaxation primarily occurs through actin depolymerization.