Y. Hirata, H. Yoshimi, S. Takata, T.X. Watanabe, et al., "Cellular mechanism of action by a novel vasoconstrictor endothelin in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells," Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 154, 868-75, 15 August 1988.

Yukio Hirata (Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan): "Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a novel 21-residue vasoconstrictor peptide originally characterized in the culture media of porcine vascular endothelial cells. The discovery of ET-1 as the most potent and sustained vasoconstrictor yet known has attracted the attention of many scientists. Our paper demonstrated for the first time the presence of a high-affinity receptor specific for ET-1 in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from rat aorta. Our paper also clearly showed that the vascular ET-1 receptor is distinct from the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, even though it had been originally hypothesized that ET-1 may be an endogenous agonist for voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.

"In addition, ET-1 induces...

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