Endothelin regulation of vascular tonus.
1. Following the identification of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in 1988, an increasing body of work has accumulated on this endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor peptide. 2. ET-1 may regulate the regional vascular tonus. 3. ET-1 may directly act on the underlying smooth muscle to increase the force in a paracrine manner. ET-1 may also act on the endothelium to release relaxing factors in an autocrine manner. In either case, both ETA and ETB receptors may be involved.
Kanaide
H
H
Division of Molecular Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
D000818:Animals; D016232:Endothelins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000502:physiology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*
D016232:Endothelins