title: New angle of view on the role of rho/rho kinase pathway in human diseases.
abstract: Rho-kinase is an effector molecule of RhoA, a monomeric GTP-binding protein, and causes Ca2+ sensitization through inactivation of myosin phosphatase. The major physiological functions of Rho/Rho-kinase cascade include contraction, proliferation and migration in cells.There are some excellent reviews about Rho/Rho-kinase signal pathway, most of which focus on the specific proteins of the pathway including some upstream regulators and its final effects. But few articles cover signal pathways that can activate the signaling concerned, and/or the pathways that Rho/Rho-kinase can exactly activate. This review hence highlights the two questions after a profound survey of published literatures. Rho/Rho-kinase can exert positive feedback with just another kinase/signal transducers and activator of transcription, receptor tyrosine kinase signal pathways, even reactive oxygen species, which seem to comprise certain signal loops. The authors also presume, accordingly, that the positive feedback suggests a possible reason for exacerbation of some kind of inflammatory diseases including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, etc. This essay, therefore, provides a new angle of view for the therapy of these kinds of diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China. luobao97@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China. LuoBao97@163.com.
authors.forename: Chun-tao
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, the 7th People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China. LuoBao97@163.com.
authors.forename: Qiu-hong
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Electroencephalogram, The People's Hospital, Leshan, Sichuan 614000, PR China. LuoBao97@163.com.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pulmonary Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China. LuoBao97@163.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D053612:Janus Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000502:physiology; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors; D053612:Janus Kinases; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D002118:Calcium