RESUMEN
Free calcium ions within the cytosol serve as a key secondary messenger system for a diverse range of cellular processes. Dysregulation of cytosolic Ca(2+) handling in airway smooth muscle (ASM) has been implicated in asthma, and it has been hypothesised that this leads, at least in part, to associated changes in both the architecture and function of the lung. Significant research is therefore directed towards furthering our understanding of the mechanisms which control ASM cytosolic calcium, in addition to those regulating the sensitivity of its downstream effector targets to calcium. Key aspects of the recent developments in this field were discussed at the 8th Young Investigators' Symposium on Smooth Muscle (2013, Groningen, The Netherlands), and are outlined in this review.
Asunto(s)
Calcio/fisiología , Músculo Liso/fisiología , Fenómenos Fisiológicos Respiratorios , Animales , Asma/fisiopatología , Humanos , Contracción Muscular/fisiología , Músculo Liso/efectos de los fármacos , Músculo Liso/fisiopatología , Fenómenos Fisiológicos Respiratorios/efectos de los fármacos , Sistemas de Mensajero Secundario/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Contractile G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have emerged as key regulators of smooth muscle contraction, both under healthy and diseased conditions. This brief review will discuss some key topics and novel insights regarding GPCR-mediated airway and vascular smooth muscle contraction as discussed at the 7th International Young Investigators' Symposium on Smooth Muscle (2011, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) and will in particular focus on processes driving Ca(2+)-mobilization and -sensitization.