title: Regulation of smooth muscle contraction by the epithelium: role of prostaglandins.
abstract: As an analog to the endothelium situated next to the vascular smooth muscle, the epithelium is emerging as an important regulator of smooth muscle contraction in many vital organs/tissues by interacting with other cell types and releasing epithelium-derived factors, among which prostaglandins have been demonstrated to play a versatile role in governing smooth muscle contraction essential to the physiological and pathophysiological processes in a wide range of organ systems.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
authors.forename: Ye Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Wenliang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hsiao Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism*; D019899:Paracrine Communication; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D011453:Prostaglandins