Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (PASMC)

Vascular smooth muscle refers to the particular type of smooth muscle found within, and composing the majority of the wall of blood vessels. Vascular smooth muscle contracts or relaxes to change both the volume of blood vessels and the local blood pressure,  Thus the main function of vascular smooth muscle tone is to regulate the caliber of the blood vessels in the body. Acute hypoxia causes pulmonary vasoconstriction in part by inhibiting voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channel activity in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC). Study shows that a hypoxia-sensitive mechanism essential for inhibiting KCNA5 channel activity is exclusively present in PASMC. The divergent effect of hypoxia on I(K(V)) in PASMC and MASMC also may be due to different expression levels of KCNA5 channels. Studies indicate that cultured pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells can be used in the study of vascular diseases, and play an important role in the new treatment methods of pulmonary vascular disease.