Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a syndrome in which pulmonary arterial
obstruction increases pulmonary vascular resistance, which leads to right ventricular (RV) …

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a key role in maintaining blood pressure
homeostasis, as well as fluid and salt balance. Angiotensin II, a key effector peptide of the …

Rho kinases (ROCKs) are the first and the best-characterized effectors of the small G-protein
RhoA. In addition to their effect on actin organization, or through this effect, ROCKs have …

Anticholinergics are widely used for the treatment of COPD, and to a lesser extent for
asthma. Primarily used as bronchodilators, they reverse the action of vagally derived …

Rationale: Despite improved understanding of the underlying genetics, pulmonary arterial
hypertension (PAH) remains a severe disease. Extensive remodeling of small pulmonary …

Vascular smooth muscle (VSM) plays an important role in the regulation of vascular function.
Identifying the mechanisms of VSM contraction has been a major research goal in order to …

The pulmonary circulation is a low-resistance, low-pressure, and high-compliance system
that allows the lungs to receive the entire cardiac output. Pulmonary arterial pressure is a …

Blood flow (BF) increases with increasing exercise intensity in skeletal, respiratory, and
cardiac muscle. In humans during maximal exercise intensities, 85% to 90% of total cardiac …

Caveolae, a subset of membrane (lipid) rafts, are flask-like invaginations of the plasma
membrane that contain caveolin proteins, which serve as organizing centers for cellular …

Pulmonary vascular disease can be defined as either a disease affecting the pulmonary
capillaries and pulmonary arterioles, termed pulmonary arterial hypertension, or a disease …