This review aims to survey the current state of mechanotransduction in vascular smooth
muscle cells (VSMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs), including their sensing of mechanical …

The barrier properties of endothelial cells are critical for the maintenance of water and
protein balance between the intravascular and extravascular compartments. An impairment …

Gap junctions are aggregates of intercellular channels that permit direct cell–cell transfer of
ions and small molecules. Initially described as low-resistance ion pathways joining …

Inflammation is a complex and potentially life-threatening condition that involves the
participation of a variety of chemical mediators, signaling pathways, and cell types. The …

The endothelium, a monolayer of endothelial cells, constitutes the inner cellular lining of the
blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) and the lymphatic system, and therefore is in …

Intercellular calcium (Ca2+) waves (ICWs) represent the propagation of increases in
intracellular Ca2+ through a syncytium of cells and appear to be a fundamental mechanism …

The pulmonary circulation is a low-resistance, low-pressure, and high-compliance system
that allows the lungs to receive the entire cardiac output. Pulmonary arterial pressure is a …

The endothelium controls vascular tone not only by releasing NO and prostacyclin, but also
by other pathways causing hyperpolarization of the underlying smooth muscle cells. This …

This review is concerned with understanding how vasodilation initiated from local sites in the
tissue can spread to encompass multiple branches of the resistance vasculature. Within …

Connexins are tetraspan transmembrane proteins that form gap junctions and facilitate
direct intercellular communication, a critical feature for the development, function, and …