Vascular smooth muscle contraction and relaxation: pathways and chemical modulation.

The purpose of this review has been to summarize the information learned in the past few years regarding the mechanisms responsible for smooth muscle contraction and relaxation and to relate this information to the vasoconstrictor and vasodilator agents used by the interventional radiologist. Because this review can only provide an overview of what is known about these processes, the reader is directed to the references cited below. This reference list contains review articles that will provide in-depth information about the topics presented herein.