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Related Concept Videos

Functions of Smooth Muscles01:23

Functions of Smooth Muscles

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Smooth muscles are an important type of muscle tissue that plays a vital role in the involuntary movements of internal organs. For example, they help regulate the movement of food through the gut and the flow of blood through the circulatory system.
Function of visceral smooth muscles
Visceral smooth muscle is found in the walls of all hollow organs, except the heart, and is a key player in the involuntary movements that drive the functioning of these internal organs. This tissue is arranged in...
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Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

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Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
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Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles01:13

Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles

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Smooth muscle tissue is a type of muscle tissue that can be found lining various vital organs in the human body, including the lungs, blood vessels, digestive tract, and respiratory tract. This type of tissue is responsible for regulating the movements of these organs, playing crucial roles in the functioning of various systems, including the vascular, digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems.
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Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis01:37

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The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.
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Mechanical Protein Functions01:58

Mechanical Protein Functions

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Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force. 
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Transfer Function in Control Systems01:21

Transfer Function in Control Systems

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The transfer function is a fundamental concept in the analysis and design of linear time-invariant (LTI) systems. It offers a concise way to understand how a system responds to different inputs in the frequency domain. It serves as a bridge between the time-domain differential equations that describe system dynamics and the frequency-domain representation that facilitates easier manipulation and analysis.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Measuring Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Using Click Chemistry
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Measuring Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Using Click Chemistry

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The Glutamine-α-Ketoglutarate Metabolic Axis Controls Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Function.

Kelly J Peyton1, Xiao-Ming Liu1, Giovanna L Durante1

  • 1Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA.

Cells
|February 12, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Glutamine fuels vascular smooth muscle cell functions through the GLS1-AT-αKG pathway. Targeting this pathway with inhibitors offers a therapeutic strategy for fibroproliferative vascular diseases.

Keywords:
aminotransferasecollagenglutaminaseglutaminemigrationproliferationvascular smooth muscle cellsviabilityα-ketoglutarate

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Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation

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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Measuring Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Using Click Chemistry
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Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Metabolic Pathways
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Glutamine regulates vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood.
  • Understanding glutamine's role is crucial for addressing fibroproliferative vascular diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how glutamine metabolism influences VSMC behavior.
  • To identify the specific enzymes and metabolites involved in glutamine-dependent VSMC functions.

Main Methods:

  • VSMC proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis were assessed under glutamine deprivation and with pharmacological enzyme inhibition (GLS1, AT, GLUD1).
  • Intracellular metabolite levels, particularly α-ketoglutarate (αKG), were analyzed.
  • Glutamine-starved cells were supplemented with glutamine-derived molecules to determine their functional impact.

Main Results:

  • Glutamine deprivation reduced VSMC proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis.
  • Inhibition of glutaminase-1 (GLS1) or aminotransferases (AT) mimicked glutamine deprivation effects, while glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (GLUD1) inhibition did not.
  • α-ketoglutarate (αKG) was identified as the key metabolite, with its analog dimethyl-αKG restoring VSMC functions.

Conclusions:

  • Glutamine metabolism via the GLS1-AT-αKG pathway is critical for VSMC activation and survival.
  • Targeting this metabolic axis presents a potential therapeutic strategy for fibroproliferative vascular diseases like atherosclerosis and pulmonary hypertension.