A new molecular pathway has been identified that is critical for maintaining the smooth muscle tone that allows the passage of materials through the digestive system. Researchers at UMass Medical ...

Normal urinary bladder function requires contraction and relaxation of the detrusor smooth muscle (DSM). The DSM undergoes compensatory hypertrophy in response to partial bladder outlet obstruction ...

Activation of muscarinic receptors on the detrusor smooth muscle is followed by contraction, which involves both myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and Rho kinase (ROCK). The aim of this study was to ...

A new study by researchers at Yale and Johns Hopkins University has discovered how asthmatic bronchial spasms — muscle contractions in the airway that cause difficulty breathing in asthma patients— ...

The molecular regulation of smooth-muscle contraction is an important determinant of airway responses during an acute asthmatic attack. In acute asthma, various triggers, including viral illnesses and ...

Colonic motility disorders, especially problems associated with constipation and diarrhea, are common in adults and children, greatly impacting quality of life. A new study in The American Journal of ...

Ferulic acid suppresses ileal smooth muscle contraction by inhibiting calcium ion influx through voltage-dependent calcium channels. This action may help prevent or treat excessive intestinal motility ...

DHA has previously been shown to inhibit voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channels (VDCCs). The research group found a new pharmacological action of DHA to inhibit the Orai1 channel, which is one of ...

As the gestation period nears completion, the uterus grows to a length of 12 inches (from 3 inches) and the weight increases to 1,100 g (from 30–40 g). The uterus has 5 liters of fluid, and together ...