Contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle is a tightly regulated process involving
numerous endogenous substances and their intracellular second messengers. We examine …

Contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle are regulated by myosin light-chain kinase and
myosin phosphatase through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of myosin light …

cGMP is a second messenger that produces its effects by interacting with intracellular
receptor proteins. In smooth muscle cells, one of the major receptors for cGMP is the …

Over the past 25 years, the role of nitric oxide (NO) in biology has evolvedfrom being
recognized as an environmental pollutant to an endogenously produced substance involved …

The natriuretic peptides, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and
C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), are a family of polypeptide mediators exerting numerous …

Since the discoveries that have verified nitric oxide (NO) as an endogenously produced cell
signaling molecule, research surrounding its production and mechanisms of action have …

Small GTPase Rho and cGMP/cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK) pathways exert
opposing effects in specific systems such as vascular contraction and growth. However, the …

Endothelial dysfunction, as observed in hypertension and atherosclerosis, is associated with
a reduction in the bioavailability of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO). We tested the …

Natriuretic peptides (NPs), which consist of atrial, brain, and C-type natriuretic peptides
(ANP, BNP, and CNP, respectively), are characterized as cardiac or vascular hormones that …

The endothelium plays a pivotal role in many physiological and pathological processes and
is known to be an exceptionally active transcriptional site. To advance our understanding of …