Obstruction and stretch induce cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and prostanoid synthesis in urinary tissues, causing pain, inflammation, hypercontractility, and cell proliferation. Our objective was to characterize acute COX-2 induction during in vivo ureteral obstruction, establish a cell culture model of urothelial stretch-induced COX-2 expression, and evaluate whether mechanotransduction co...

Applying a small stretch to active muscle immediately before shortening results in an increase in force and work done during subsequent shortening. The basis of the increase is not fully understood, having important implications for work and efficiency, and how they are influenced through stretch. We used the anterior tibialis muscle of leopard frogs (Rana pipiens complex) to measure the oxygen...

Stretch-activated ion currents were recorded from vascular smooth muscle (VSM) after enzymatic isolation of single cells from porcine coronary arterioles. Patch pipettes were used to record whole cell current and control cell length. Under voltage clamp in physiological saline solution, an inward cation current (I(CAT)) was activated by 105--135% longitudinal stretch. I(CAT) coincided with an i...

Iwasaki, Hiroaki, Satoru Eguchi, Hikaru Ueno, Fumiaki Marumo, and Yukio Hirata. Mechanical stretch stimulates growth of vascular smooth muscle cells via epidermal growth factor receptor. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 278: H521–H529, 2000.—We have studied whether activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is involved in stretch-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 ...