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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1973 Mar;70(3):641–645. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.3.641

Contraction of Isolated Smooth-Muscle Cells—Structural Changes

Fredric S Fay 1, Claudio M Delise 1
PMCID: PMC433324  PMID: 4197624

Abstract

The contraction of isolated smooth-muscle cells has been correlated with evagination of the cell membrane, a marked change in myofilament orientation, and a decrease in cellular volume. Both localized and full contractions have been elicited in the same cell by varying the intensity of electrical stimulation. These results may be explained by a model of the smooth-muscle cell in which the contractile apparatus extends between attachment sites on the cell membrane that are relatively closely spaced.

Keywords: cell volume, cell membrane, myofilaments, contractile mechanism

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Selected References

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