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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2021 Jan 21;106(4):446–455. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2020-319705

Figure 5. Mechanism of action of vasoactive medications in vascular smooth muscle (brown-top) and endothelial cell (pink-bottom).

Figure 5.

V1R and V2R and vasopressin receptors. ET-A and ET-B are endothelin receptors, α1, α2, β1 and β2 are adrenergic receptors. PLC – phospholipase C, IP3 – inositol triphosphate; eNOS – endothelial nitric oxide synthase, NO – nitric oxide, sGC – soluble guanylyl cyclase, PDE3 – phosphodiesterase 3. Most of the vasoconstrictor mediators result in increase in cytosolic ionic calcium concentrations in the smooth muscle. Vasopressin (through V1 receptors), endothelin (through ET-B receptors) and norepinephrine (through α2 receptors) can act on pulmonary endothelium and stimulate NO production leading to pulmonary vasodilation. Copyright Satyan Lakshminrusimha.