Despite considerable investigation, the mechanisms underlying the functional properties of smooth muscle are poorly understood. This can be attributed, at least in part, to a lack of knowledge about the structure and organization of the contractile apparatus inside the muscle cell. Recent observations of the plasticity of smooth muscle and of morphometry of the cell have provided enough informa...

We established, for the isolated, isovolumically beating canine left ventricle, a comprehensive description of postextrasystolic contractile strength (dP/dtmax) as a function of extrasystolic and postextrasystolic stimulus intervals. In contrast to previous studies of postextrasystolic beats in in situ hearts, these isolated ventricles contracted isovolumically so that dP/dtmax was not affected...

VSMCs respond to changes in the local environment by adjusting their phenotype from contractile to synthetic, a phenomenon known as phenotypic modulation or switching. Failure of VSMCs to acquire and maintain the contractile phenotype plays a key role in a number of major human diseases, including arteriosclerosis. Although several regulatory circuits that control differentiation of SMCs have b...

Division-site selection and contractile-ring assembly are two crucial steps in cytokinesis. In fission yeast, the anillin-like Mid1 protein specifies the division site at the cell equator by assembling cortical nodes, the precursors of the contractile ring. Thus, Mid1 is essential for linking the positional cues for the cleavage site to contractile-ring formation. However, how Mid1 domains coop...

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) caused by mutations in cardiac myosin-binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is a heterogenous disease in which the phenotypic presentation is influenced by genetic, environmental, and developmental factors. Though mouse models have been used extensively to study the contractile effects of cMyBP-C ablation, early postnatal hypertrophic and dilatory remodeling may overshad...

Cells require adhesion to survive, proliferate and migrate, as well as for wound healing and many other functions. The strength of contractile cell forces on an underlying surface is a highly relevant quantity to measure the affinity of cells to a rigid surface with and without coating. Here we show with experimental and theoretical studies that these forces create surface stresses that are suf...

Cytokinesis in fission yeast cells depends on conventional myosin-II (Myo2) to assemble and constrict a contractile ring of actin filaments. Less is known about the functions of an unconventional myosin-II (Myp2) and a myosin-V (Myo51) that are also present in the contractile ring. Myo2 appears in cytokinetic nodes around the equator 10 min before spindle pole body separation (cell-cycle time, ...

Background and Aims: Diabetes mellitus is accompanied with higher incidence of cardiovascular disorders. There is some evidence on antidiabetic potential of silymarin. In this study the effect of chronic administration of silymarin on contractile-relaxation response of thoracic aorta of diabetic rats was investigated. Methods: In this experimental study, male Wistar rats were divided into 5 gro...

Considering the anti-diabetic potential of Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) and its beneficial effect on aortic reactivity of diabetic rats, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of its alcoholic seed extract on aortic reactivity and also figure out mechanisms including the role of adrenergic and angiotensinergic systems in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were divided in...