title: Pathophysiology of acute pulmonary vasoconstriction.
abstract: Acute pulmonary vasoconstriction occurs in a variety of clinical settings relevant for the cardiac intensivist, postoperative pulmonary hypertension being perhaps the most common. Although we know that significant postoperative pulmonary vasoconstriction generally occurs in patients with a pathologically remodeled pulmonary circulation, we know little of its pathophysiology. The following review describes the biochemistry of smooth muscle contractile activation and examines the possible role that endothelin-1 may play in postoperative pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. thomas.kulik@cardio.chboston.org
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kulik
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D065130:Endothelin A Receptor Antagonists; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000503:physiopathology; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D065130:Endothelin A Receptor Antagonists; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents