A new molecular pathway has been identified that is critical for maintaining the smooth muscle tone that allows the passage of materials through the digestive system. Researchers at UMass Medical ...

Normal urinary bladder function requires contraction and relaxation of the detrusor smooth muscle (DSM). The DSM undergoes compensatory hypertrophy in response to partial bladder outlet obstruction ...

Activation of muscarinic receptors on the detrusor smooth muscle is followed by contraction, which involves both myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and Rho kinase (ROCK). The aim of this study was to ...

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas are the first to use genetically engineered mice containing a fluorescent molecule to examine in real time the chemical reactions that result in ...

A research group led by Dr. Keisuke Obara, Dr. Kento Yoshioka, and Professor Yoshio Tanaka from the Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, has ...

Actomyosin is a protein complex composed of actin and myosin. It is found in muscle fibers where it plays a role in muscle contraction. Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotes. It ...

The contractile responses of esophageal smooth muscle (SM) induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF) involve the activation of L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (L-type VDCCs), ...

The observations presented herewith seem to demonstrate three distinct, but related facts : formaldehyde, in suitable, small concentrations prevents a sensitized smooth muscle from contracting on ...

Muscle contraction is the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of muscles when you do some activity. It can happen when you hold or pick up something, or when you stretch or exercise with weights.

A new molecular pathway critical for maintaining the smooth muscle tone that allows the passage of materials through the digestive system is being identified by researchers at UMass Medical School.