Muscle tone

Calcium channel blockers reduce arterial blood pressure by decreasing calcium influx, resulting in a decrease in intracellular calcium (236,237). The arterial smooth muscle tone decreases, thereby decreasing total peripheral resistance. The increase in vascular resistance in hypertension is found to depend much on calcium influx. Calcium channel blockers reduce blood pressure at rest and during exercise. They decrease the transmembranous calcium influx or entry that lead to a net decrease of intracellular calcium and therefore the vascular tone falls, as does blood pressure. 

Diltiazem inhibits calcium influx via voltage-operated channels and therefore decreases intracellular calcium ion. This decreases smooth muscle tone. Diltiazem dilates both large and small arteries and also inhibits a-adrenoceptor activated calcium influx. It differs from verapamil and nifedipine by its use dependence. In order for the blockade to occur, the channels must be in the activated state. Diltiazem has no significant affinity for calmodulin. The side effects are headache, edema, and dizziness. 

Deffebach, M. E., Salonen, R. O., Webber, S. E., and Widdiconibe, J. G. (1989), Cold and hyperosmolar fluids in canine trachea Vascular and smooth muscle tone and. ilbuniin flux. ]. Appi. Physiol. 66, 1309-1315. 

The relative inaccessibility of physostigmine led to molecular dissection studies to define the parts of the molecule necessary for activity. A surprisingly simple derivative of m-hydroxy-aniline, neostigmine (40), proved to have the same activity as the complex heterocyclic molecule. In addition, this drug has found use as a cholinsterase inhibitor in pathologic conditions such as myasthenia gravis, marked by insufficient muscle tone. Reaction of m-dimethylaminophenol (37) witn pnosgene affords tne... 

Smooth Muscle Tone Regulation Carbon Monoxide... 

Ca2+-binding Proteins Smooth Muscle Tone Regulation NPAT Family of Transcription Factors... 

Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Guanylyl Cyclases Smooth Muscle Tone Regulation... 

Smooth Muscle Tone Regulation Guanylyl Cyclases... 

On the pathophysiological side, hyperactive nNOS has been implicated in A/-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor-mediated neuronal death in cerebrovascular-stroke. Some disturbances of smooth muscle tone within the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., gastroesophageal reflux disease) may also be related to an overproduction of NO by nNOS in peripheral nitrergic nerves. 

Prostaglandins are a group of lipid autacoids known as eicosanoids. They are produced from membrane phospholipids and found in almost every tissue and body fluid. They are involved in a number of physiological processes including inflammation, smooth muscle tone and gastrointestinal secretion. In the central nervous system they have been reported to produce both excitation and inhibition of neuronal activity. 

Calcium-dependent regulation involves the calcium-calmodulin complex that activates smooth muscle MLCK, a monomer of approximately 135 kDa. Dephosphorylation is initiated by MLCP. MLCP is a complex of three proteins a 110-130 kDa myosin phosphatase targeting and regulatory subunit (MYPT1), a 37 kDa catalytic subunit (PP-1C) and a 20 kDa subunit of unknown function. In most cases, calcium-independent regulation of smooth muscle tone is achieved by inhibition of MLCP activity at constant calcium level inducing an increase in phospho-rMLC and contraction (Fig. 1). 

Smooth Muscle Tone Regulation. Figure 1 Mechanisms leading to agonist stimulated calcium-dependent and calcium-independent contraction of smooth muscle. NE, norepinephrine. See text for the other abbreviations. 

Smooth Muscle Tone Regulation. Figure 2 Membrane mechanisms leading to an increases in cytosolic calcium concentration, depolar, depolarisation of the membrane see text for abbreviations. 

A large number of diugs interfere with the smooth muscle contraction. These compounds lower blood pressure and are referred to as antihypertensive. In this section, only those coumpounds will be mentioned that have a direct effect on smooth muscle tone. Phenylephrine is an agonist on most smooth muscles and activates ax adrenoceptors. Carbachol is an agonist on some smooth muscles and activates contraction through muscarinic receptors. Blockers of the ax-adrenoceptors such as prazosin and urapidil are competitive inhibitors of the ax-receptor in vascular and bladder smooth muscle. Phenoxybenzamine is an ineversible blocker of ax receptors and phentol-amine blocks ax and a2 receptors. Ca2+ channel blockers such as the dihydropyiidines, phenylalkyla-mines and benzothiazepines lower smooth muscle tone by blocking the L-type calcium channel. 

Tetanus is a disease caused by the release of neurotoxins from the anaerobic, spore-forming rod Clostridium tetani. The clostridial protein, tetanus toxin, possesses a protease activity which selectively degrades the pre-synaptic vesicle protein synaptobrevin, resulting in a block of glycine and y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release from presynaptic terminals. Consistent with the loss of neurogenic motor inhibition, symptoms of tetanus include muscular rigidity and hyperreflexia. The clinical course is characterized by increased muscle tone and spasms, which first affect the masseter muscle and the muscles of the throat, neck and shoulders. Death occurs by respiratory failure or heart failure. 

Smooth Muscle Tone Regulation Voltage-dependent Ca2+ Channels Ca2+ Channel Blockers... 

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