title: 3',5'-cIMP as Potential Second Messenger in the Vascular Wall.
abstract: Traditionally, only the 3',5'-cyclic monophosphates of adenosine and guanosine (produced by adenylyl cyclase and guanylyl cyclase, respectively) are regarded as true "second messengers" in the vascular wall, despite the presence of other cyclic nucleotides in different tissues. Among these noncanonical cyclic nucleotides, inosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cIMP) is synthesized by soluble guanylyl cyclase in porcine coronary arteries in response to hypoxia, when the enzyme is activated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide. Its production is associated with augmentation of vascular contraction mediated by stimulation of Rho kinase. Based on these findings, cIMP appears to meet most, if not all, of the criteria required for it to be accepted as a "second messenger," at least in the vascular wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, 2/F, Laboratory Block, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Susan W S
authors.initials: SWS
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
authors.forename: Yuansheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, 2/F, Laboratory Block, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. vanhoutt@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vanhoutte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D007289:Cyclic IMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems; D000071756:Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007289:Cyclic IMP; D000071756:Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase
keywords: Hypoxia; Inosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate; Magnesium ions; Rho kinase; Soluble guanylyl cyclase