Japanese Circulation Society

Plenary Session 3
Importance of Rho-Kinase in the Pathogenesis of Arteriosclerotic Vascular Disease in Japanese
Hiroaki Shimokawa

Figure 1. The Rho/Rho kinase pathway suppresses myosin phosphotase and increases vessel calcium sensitivity. Target proteins affect contraction, stress fiber formation, focal adhesion, migration, cytokinesis, cell hypertrophy, and gene expression. G-protein coupled agonists are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.