Contractile properties of the glomerular mesangium

Mesangial cells together with the surrounding matrix material form the glomerular mesangium. These cells exhibit bundles of microfilaments in situ similar to smooth muscle cells and thus have been hypothesized to regulate glomerular perfusion and filtration by contracting. In this report I shall review data suggesting that the inherent glomerular mesangial cell responds to vasoactive stimuli by contracting to regulate glomerular function.