Recent advances in cardiac physiology identify the integrin-linked kinase (ILK) as an essential molecule regulating cardiac growth, contractility, and repair. A key transducer of biochemical signals initiated at the plasma membrane by cell-matrix interactions, ILK now emerges as a crucial player in mechanotransduction by integrins. Animal models have been particularly instructive in dissecting ...

Stress fibers are major contractile actin structures in non-muscle cells where they have an important role in adhesion, morphogenesis and mechanotransduction. Palladin is a multidomain protein, which associates with stress fibers in a variety of cell types. However, the exact role of palladin in stress fiber assembly and maintenance has remained obscure, and whether it functions as an actin fil...

OBJECTIVE To study serum levo-carnitine (l-carnitine) levels and isometric contraction, force frequency relationship and fatigue of rodent skeletal muscles in type 2 diabetes mellitus. STUDY DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Physiology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from January 2009 to January 2010. METHODOLOGY Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were r...

3-hydroxy-3methylglutaryl Coenzyme A reductase, the rate limiting enzyme of mevalonate pathway, generates, in addition to cholesterol, a range of products involved in several biological functions: oligoprenyl groups, dolichol and ubiquinone. The latter, in particular, participates in electron transport chain and, in turn, in tissue energy supply. The enzyme is inhibited by statins that, besides...

A strict regulation of contractility in the uterus and fallopian tube is essential for various reproductive functions. The uterus contributes, through either increased contractility or periods of relative quiescence, to: (i) expulsion of menstrual debris, (ii) sperm transport, (iii) adequate embryo placement during implantation, (iv) enlarging its capacity during pregnancy and (v) parturition. ...

We have shown recently that intracisternal administration of endothelin-(ET)1 and ET-3 evokes increases in gastric motor function and arterial blood pressure. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) is a medullary site of action for the gastric motor and cardiovascular effects of ET-1 and to identify the ET receptor subtype through which these effects are ...

Non-uniform contraction exists in many skeletal muscles and plays an important role the function of musculoskeletal system. Particularly gluteus medius (GM) muscle, its three subdivisions appear activated differently while performing various motion tasks. However, non-uniform contractile mechanism GM is poorly understood. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model was develope...

Kidney Ankyrin Repeat-containing Proteins (KANKs) comprise a family of four evolutionary conserved proteins (KANK1 to 4) that localize the belt mature focal adhesions (FAs) where they regulate integrin-mediated adhesion, actomyosin contractility, and link FAs cortical microtubule stabilization complex (CMSC). The human KANK were first identified in kidney have been associated with cancer nephro...

Myocardin (MYOCD) is a potent transcriptional coactivator that functions primarily in cardiac muscle and smooth muscle through direct contacts with serum response factor (SRF) over cis elements known as CArG boxes found near a number of genes encoding for contractile, ion channel, cytoskeletal, and calcium handling proteins. Since its discovery more than 10 years ago, new insights have been obt...