title: [Advances in the study of signal transduction in cavernous smooth muscle].
abstract: The signal transduction pathways within corporal smooth muscle cells are the intracellular molecular mechanisms of corporal smooth muscle tone regulation. Various neurotransmitters activate the membrane receptor proteins or intracellular enzyme pathways and result in the production of extracellular chemical signals. Second messenger molecules and ions transmit and amplify the signals, and subsequently induce the relaxation of smooth muscle cells and penile erection. Therefore, the study of signal transduction in cavernous smooth muscle play an important role in understanding the physiology of erection and the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction as well as in developing new selective drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, First Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China. xingjpcn@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Xianfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Shudong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism*; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / Q000502:physiology; D010413:Penis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase; D002118:Calcium