The gap-junctional protein, connexin43, is differentially expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) according to phenotype. Previous studies suggest that desmin-negative SMCs are characterized by high levels of connexin43, whereas desmin-positive SMCs (of a more contractile phenotype) typically have low connexin43 levels. In this study, we examine systematically the inverse relationship ...

We have previously shown that endothelial cells of the aortic floor give rise to hematopoietic cells, revealing the existence of an aortic hemangioblast. It has been proposed that the restriction of hematopoiesis to the aortic floor is based on the existence of two different and complementary endothelial lineages that form the vessel: one originating from the somite would contribute to the roof...

These studies have examined the ability of smooth muscle cells from developing aorta of the prepubertal rat to utilize amino acids in the synthesis and secretion of connective tissue proteins. Prepubertal rats, previously given either an alcohol carrier or estradiol-17-beta, were each given an intravenous injection of proline-(3)H. The animals were sacrificed after 15 and 30 min, and 4 hr. Ligh...

the stimulatory effect of the extract of portulaca oleracea (p. olerace) on β-adrenoceptor of tracheal smooth muscle was examined. to examine β-adrenoceptor stimulatory effect, concentration response curve to isoprenaline was obtained in pre-contracted tracheal smooth muscle in the presence of three concentrations of aqueous-ethanolic extract, propranolol and saline. values of ec50 (the effecti...

Gochuico, Bernadette R., Jie Zhang, Bei Yang Ma, Ann Marshak-Rothstein, and Alan Fine. TRAIL expression in vascular smooth muscle. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 278: L1045–L1050, 2000.—TRAIL is a cell-associated tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand originally identified in immune cells. The ligand has the capacity to induce apoptosis after binding to cell surface recepto...

In order to clarify the Ca2+ mediated regulatory mechanism of vascular smooth muscle, the correlation between Ca2+ movements in the cell and mechanical response was investigated using isolated rat aorta and bovine basilar artery. K+ induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle required Ca2+ in the medium, and the contraction was always associated with a large increase in Ca2+ influx. In the ab...

Cyclic stretching of smooth muscle cells in culture resulted in a two- to fivefold increase in protein and collagen synthesis. The same in vitro system was utilized to relate changes in smooth muscle cell morphology to mechanical stress. Smooth muscle cells, grown in culture from rabbit aorta explants, were transferred to purified elastic membranes derived from bovine aorta. The membranes were ...

To determine if vascular smooth muscle from teleost and agnathan fishes expresses receptors for signaling agents that are important in vascular tension in other vertebrates, we exposed rings of aortic vascular smooth muscle from the eel (Anguilla rostrata), the hagfish (Myxine glutinosa), and the lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) to a suite of putative agonists, including: acetylcholine, endothelin,...

A FEW years ago, we discovered that the relaxation by acetylcholine (ACh) of isolated preparations of arteries precontracted by addition of an exogenous stimulating agent (e.g., norepinephrine) is strictly dependent on the presence of endothelial cells (Furchgott and Zawadzki, 1980a, 1980b; Furchgott et al., 1981; Furchgott, 1981). Our initial study was on the descending thoracic aorta of the r...

Many vasoactive agents stimulate release of an endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). EDRF stimulates cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) accumulation and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle in a manner similar to that produced by sodium nitroprusside. Endothelium and vascular smooth muscle were isolated from porcine, bovine, and rat thoracic aorta. The capacity of sodium nitropru...