MECHANOTRANSDUCTION BY VASCULAR SMOOTH-MUSCLE

Mechanotransduction by vascular smooth muscle (VSM) is defined as a ce llular response (contraction, secretion, growth, division) to transmur al pressure or stretch. This review includes an overview of the physic al forces VSM cells experience in vivo, consideration of experimental techiques used to study VSM mechanotransduction, and a discussion of t he scientific literature pertinent to the individual cellular componen ts that have been implicated in the transduction of physical forces. T hese include: the extracellular matrix, integrins, ion channels, the s arcoplasmic reticulum, second messenger systems, contractile proteins, and the cytoskeleton.