title: Rho-kinase: important new therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases.
abstract: Rho-kinase (ROCKs) belongs to the family of serine/threonine kinases and is an important downstream effector of the small GTP-binding protein RhoA. There are two isoforms of Rho-kinase, ROCK1 and ROCK2, and they have different functions with ROCK1 for circulating inflammatory cells and ROCK2 for vascular smooth muscle cells. It has been demonstrated that the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway plays an important role in various fundamental cellular functions, including contraction, motility, proliferation, and apoptosis, leading to the development of cardiovascular disease. The important role of Rho-kinase in vivo has been demonstrated in the pathogenesis of vasospasm, arteriosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, stroke, and heart failure. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of fasudil, a selective Rho-kinase inhibitor, have been demonstrated for the treatment of several cardiovascular diseases in humans. Thus the Rho-kinase pathway is an important new therapeutic target in cardiovascular medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Kimio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimokawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases