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 ...

IT is well established that an increase in the intracellular concentration of ionized calcium after excitation in the membrane is the key factor for initiation of contraction of various types of ...

Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels are critical determinants of smooth muscle function by mediating rapid feedback between intracellular calcium levels and membrane potential.

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 ...

Ferulic acid suppresses ileal smooth muscle contraction by inhibiting calcium ion influx through voltage-dependent calcium channels. This action may help prevent or treat excessive intestinal motility ...

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), ...

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 ...

Researchers engineered mice with a mutation (E3896A) in the RyR1 calcium-binding site, eliminating calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) without affecting depolarization-induced calcium release. The ...

Do you feel your muscles cramp, feel tired or experience irregular heartbeats after a long day? These signs indicate that electrolyte balance is off in your body. What are these electrolytes?

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.

Muscles and nerve fibers allow a person to move their body and enable the internal organs to function. There are more than 600 muscles in the human body. People also have different types of muscle. A ...