Rho Kinases in Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology

Rho GTPases in cell biology

2002 • 4,662 citations

Calcium sensitization of smooth muscle mediated by a Rho-associated protein kinase in hypertension

1997 • 2,847 citations

Regulation of Myosin Phosphatase by Rho and Rho-Associated Kinase (Rho-Kinase)

1996 • 2,843 citations

Phosphorylation and Activation of Myosin by Rho-associated Kinase (Rho-kinase)

1996 • 1,964 citations

Ca²⁺Sensitivity of Smooth Muscle and Nonmuscle Myosin II: Modulated by G Proteins, Kinases, and Myosin Phosphatase

2003 • 1,913 citations

ROCKs: multifunctional kinases in cell behaviour

2003 • 1,866 citations

Upregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase by HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitors

1998 • 1,860 citations

Regulation of differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells

1995 • 1,681 citations

Angiotensin II promotes atherosclerotic lesions and aneurysms in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice

2000 • 1,306 citations

Pleiotropic Effects of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors

2001 • 1,290 citations

Rho-associated kinase, a novel serine/threonine kinase, as a putative target for small GTP binding protein Rho.

1996 • 1,045 citations

Post-transcriptional Regulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase mRNA Stability by Rho GTPase

1998 • 1,034 citations

The p160 RhoA-Binding Kinase ROKα Is a Member of a Kinase Family and Is Involved in the Reorganization of the Cytoskeleton

1996 • 866 citations

Caspase-3-mediated cleavage of ROCK I induces MLC phosphorylation and apoptotic membrane blebbing

2001 • 852 citations

Rho-Kinase Phosphorylates COOH-terminal Threonines of Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin (ERM) Proteins and Regulates Their Head-to-Tail Association

1998 • 849 citations

ROCK‐I and ROCK‐II, two isoforms of Rho‐associated coiled‐coil forming protein serine/threonine kinase in mice

1996 • 757 citations

A Novel Serine/Threonine Kinase Binding the Ras-related RhoA GTPase Which Translocates the Kinase to Peripheral Membranes

1995 • 711 citations

Serum response factor: toggling between disparate programs of gene expression

2003 • 585 citations

Rho kinase, a promising drug target for neurological disorders

2005 • 579 citations

Mechanisms of plaque vulnerability and rupture

2003 • 520 citations

Regulation and Functions of Rho-Associated Kinase

2000 • 500 citations

Regulation of PTEN by Rho small GTPases

2005 • 475 citations

Rho-Kinase Mediates Hypoxia-Induced Downregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

2002 • 465 citations

ROCK and Dia have opposing effects on adherens junctions downstream of Rho

2002 • 452 citations

Effect of AT877 on cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

1992 • 432 citations

Long-Term Inhibition of Rho-Kinase Suppresses Angiotensin II–Induced Cardiovascular Hypertrophy in Rats In Vivo

2003 • 427 citations

Long-Term Treatment With a Rho-Kinase Inhibitor Improves Monocrotaline-Induced Fatal Pulmonary Hypertension in Rats

2003 • 401 citations

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors Attenuate Vascular Smooth Muscle Proliferation by Preventing Rho GTPase-induced Down-regulation of p27

1999 • 389 citations

Smooth Muscle Differentiation Marker Gene Expression Is Regulated by RhoA-mediated Actin Polymerization

2001 • 374 citations

Agonists Trigger G Protein-mediated Activation of the CPI-17 Inhibitor Phosphoprotein of Myosin Light Chain Phosphatase to Enhance Vascular Smooth Muscle Contractility

2000 • 336 citations

Statin Prevents Tissue Factor Expression in Human Endothelial Cells

2002 • 333 citations

Activation of RhoA and Inhibition of Myosin Phosphatase as Important Components in Hypertension in Vascular Smooth Muscle

2003 • 324 citations

Inhibition of Rho-Kinase Leads to Rapid Activation of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Protein Kinase Akt and Cardiovascular Protection

2004 • 322 citations

Invited Review: Regulation of myosin phosphorylation in smooth muscle

2001 • 304 citations

Attenuation of acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in mice by inhibition of Rho-kinase

2004 • 300 citations

RhoE Binds to ROCK I and Inhibits Downstream Signaling

2003 • 300 citations

Phosphorylation of Adducin by Rho-Kinase Plays a Crucial Role in Cell Motility

1999 • 300 citations

ROCK-I regulates closure of the eyelids and ventral body wall by inducing assembly of actomyosin bundles

2005 • 298 citations

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of pulmonary vascular remodeling: role in the development of pulmonary hypertension

2004 • 288 citations

Involvement of Rho-kinase in hypertensive vascular disease: a novel therapeutic target in hypertension

2001 • 281 citations

Inhibition of Myosin Phosphatase by Upregulated Rho-Kinase Plays a Key Role for Coronary Artery Spasm in a Porcine Model With Interleukin-1β

2000 • 273 citations

The COOH Terminus of Rho-kinase Negatively Regulates Rho-kinase Activity

1999 • 271 citations

Human Urotensin II–Induced Contraction and Arterial Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation Are Mediated by RhoA and Rho-Kinase

2001 • 263 citations

Rho-associated Kinase of Chicken Gizzard Smooth Muscle

1999 • 261 citations

Rho and Rho Kinase Mediate Thrombin-Stimulated Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell DNA Synthesis and Migration

1999 • 260 citations

Targeted Disruption of the Mouse Rho-Associated Kinase 2 Gene Results in Intrauterine Growth Retardation and Fetal Death

2003 • 251 citations

Rho-kinase inhibition with intracoronary fasudil prevents myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary microvascular spasm

2002 • 242 citations

Rho/Rho kinase signaling mediates increased basal pulmonary vascular tone in chronically hypoxic rats

2004 • 239 citations

Inhaled Rho Kinase Inhibitors Are Potent and Selective Vasodilators in Rat Pulmonary Hypertension

2004 • 238 citations

Thrombin Stimulates Human Endothelial Arginase Enzymatic Activity via RhoA/ROCK Pathway

2004 • 236 citations

Involvement of Rho-Kinase–Mediated Phosphorylation of Myosin Light Chain in Enhancement of Cerebral Vasospasm

2000 • 226 citations

Inhibition of Rho-kinase protects the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury

2004 • 223 citations

Phosphorylation of Vimentin by Rho-associated Kinase at a Unique Amino-terminal Site That Is Specifically Phosphorylated during Cytokinesis

1998 • 222 citations

Long-Term Inhibition of Rho-Kinase Suppresses Left Ventricular Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction in Mice

2004 • 218 citations

Rho kinases play an obligatory role in vertebrate embryonic organogenesis

2001 • 218 citations

Mechanotransduction of Rat Aortic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Requires RhoA and Intact Actin Filaments

1999 • 203 citations

The effects of the Rho‐kinase inhibitor Y‐27632 on arachidonic acid‐, GTPγS‐, and phorbol ester‐induced Ca²⁺‐sensitization of smooth muscle

1998 • 199 citations

Inhibition of Rho-Associated Kinase Results in Suppression of Neointimal Formation of Balloon-Injured Arteries

2000 • 199 citations

Direct cleavage of ROCK II by granzyme B induces target cell membrane blebbing in a caspase-independent manner

2005 • 197 citations

Important Role of Rho-kinase in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Inflammation and Remodeling Induced by Long-Term Blockade of Nitric Oxide Synthesis in Rats

2002 • 195 citations

The Low Molecular Weight GTPase Rho Regulates Myofibril Formation and Organization in Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes

1998 • 194 citations

Anti-anginal Effect of Fasudil, a Rho-Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Stable Effort Angina: A Multicenter Study

2002 • 192 citations

Initiation and Transduction of Stretch-induced RhoA and Rac1 Activation through Caveolae

2003 • 191 citations

The GTP binding proteins Gem and Rad are negative regulators of the Rho–Rho kinase pathway

2002 • 184 citations

Microtubule disassembly induces cytoskeletal remodeling and lung vascular barrier dysfunction: Role of Rho‐dependent mechanisms

2004 • 183 citations

Rho Kinase–Induced Nuclear Translocation of ERK1/ERK2 in Smooth Muscle Cell Mitogenesis Caused by Serotonin

2004 • 183 citations

Involvement of Rho-Kinase in Angiotensin II–Induced Hypertrophy of Rat Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

2000 • 177 citations

Rho-Kinase Mediates Angiotensin II-Induced Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Expression in Rat Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

2001 • 176 citations

Rho-Associated Protein Kinase Contributes to Early Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation in Mice

2003 • 164 citations

Thrombin Suppresses Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Upregulates Endothelin-Converting Enzyme-1 Expression by Distinct Pathways

2001 • 163 citations

Active Rho Kinase (ROK-α) Associates with Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 and Inhibits Insulin Signaling in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

2002 • 159 citations

Inflammatory stimuli upregulate Rho-kinase in human coronary vascular smooth muscle cells

2004 • 157 citations

RhoE function is regulated by ROCK I-mediated phosphorylation

2005 • 157 citations

The RhoA/Rho Kinase Pathway Regulates Nuclear Localization of Serum Response Factor

2003 • 153 citations

Expression and functional role of Rho‐kinase in rat urinary bladder smooth muscle

2003 • 150 citations

RhoA-Binding Kinase α Translocation Is Facilitated by the Collapse of the Vimentin Intermediate Filament Network

1998 • 145 citations

RhoA/Rho-Associated Kinase Pathway Selectively Regulates Thrombin-Induced Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Expression in Endothelial Cells via Activation of IκB Kinase β and Phosphorylation of RelA/p65

2004 • 144 citations

Inhibition of RhoA/Rho kinase pathway is involved in the beneficial effect of sildenafil on pulmonary hypertension

2005 • 144 citations

Critical Role of Rho-Kinase and MEK/ERK Pathways for Angiotensin II–Induced Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-1 Gene Expression

2001 • 143 citations

Sphingosine Kinase Modulates Microvascular Tone and Myogenic Responses Through Activation of RhoA/Rho Kinase

2003 • 142 citations

Increased Expression and Activity of RhoA Are Associated With Increased DNA Synthesis and Reduced p27 ^Kip1 Expression in the Vasculature of Hypertensive Rats

2001 • 137 citations

LIM Kinase 1 Coordinates Microtubule Stability and Actin Polymerization in Human Endothelial Cells

2005 • 137 citations

Role of Rho-Associated Kinase in Neointima Formation After Vascular Injury

2001 • 131 citations

Antiinflammatory and Antiarteriosclerotic Actions of HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors in a Rat Model of Chronic Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthesis

2001 • 130 citations

Sphingosylphosphorylcholine Is a Novel Messenger for Rho-Kinase–Mediated Ca ²⁺ Sensitization in the Bovine Cerebral Artery

2002 • 130 citations

Rho and vascular disease

2005 • 129 citations

Critical role of Rho-kinase pathway for cardiac performance and remodeling in failing rat hearts

2002 • 128 citations

Fasudil, a Rho-Kinase Inhibitor, Attenuates Angiotensin II–Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice by Inhibiting Apoptosis and Proteolysis

2005 • 128 citations

Rho-Kinase Inhibitor Improves Increased Vascular Resistance and Impaired Vasodilation of the Forearm in Patients With Heart Failure

2005 • 126 citations

Pressure promotes DNA synthesis in rat cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.

1994 • 125 citations

Identification of Calponin as a Novel Substrate of Rho-Kinase

2000 • 116 citations

Specific accumulation of Rho-associated kinase at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis: cleavage furrow-specific phosphorylation of intermediate filaments

1999 • 116 citations

Extracellular Nucleotides Induce Arterial Smooth Muscle Cell Migration Via Osteopontin

2001 • 115 citations

The effects of the selective ROCK inhibitor, Y27632, on ET‐1‐induced hypertrophic response in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes – possible involvement of Rho/ROCK pathway in cardiac muscle cell hypertrophy

1999 • 113 citations

Long-Term Inhibition of Rho-Kinase Suppresses Neointimal Formation After Stent Implantation in Porcine Coronary Arteries: Involvement of Multiple Mechanisms

2003 • 106 citations

Rho/ROCK Pathway Contributes to the Activation of Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase/GATA-4 during Myocardial Cell Hypertrophy

2002 • 105 citations

Stretch-induced contractile differentiation of vascular smooth muscle: sensitivity to actin polymerization inhibitors

2003 • 97 citations

Pressure-dependent myogenic constriction of cerebral arteries occurs independently of voltage-dependent activation

2002 • 95 citations

Functional Effects of Rho-Kinase–Dependent Phosphorylation of Specific Sites on Cardiac Troponin

2005 • 93 citations

Gene transfer of dominant negative Rho kinase suppresses neointimal formation after balloon injury in pigs

2000 • 92 citations

Adenovirus-Mediated Transfer of Dominant-Negative Rho-Kinase Induces a Regression of Coronary Arteriosclerosis in Pigs In Vivo

2001 • 92 citations

Effects of Rho kinase inhibition on cerebral artery myogenic tone and reactivity

2005 • 90 citations

Rho–Rho kinase is involved in smooth muscle cell migration through myosin light chain phosphorylation-dependent and independent pathways

2001 • 88 citations

Functional Roles of the Rho/Rho Kinase Pathway and Protein Kinase C in the Regulation of Cerebrovascular Constriction Mediated by Hemoglobin

2003 • 87 citations

Involvement of Rho-Kinase in Agonists-Induced Contractions of Arteriosclerotic Human Arteries

2002 • 83 citations

Chronic hypoxia augments protein kinase G-mediated Ca²⁺ desensitization in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle through inhibition of RhoA/Rho kinase signaling

2004 • 83 citations

Rho/Rho-Kinase Pathway Contributes to C-Reactive Protein–Induced Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Expression in Endothelial Cells

2005 • 78 citations

Rho‐associated kinases play an essential role in cardiac morphogenesis and cardiomyocyte proliferation

2002 • 68 citations

Divergent effects of estrogen and nicotine on Rho-kinase expression in human coronary vascular smooth muscle cells

2004 • 66 citations

Rho kinase inhibition partly weakens myogenic reactivity in rat small arteries by changing calcium sensitivity

2002 • 66 citations

Cardioprotective mechanisms of Rho-kinase inhibition associated with eNOS and oxidative stress-LOX-1 pathway in Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats

2005 • 63 citations

New insights into the structure–function relationships of Rho-associated kinase: a thermodynamic and hydrodynamic study of the dimer-to-monomer transition and its kinetic implications

2004 • 63 citations

Contribution of Rho A and Rho Kinase to Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-BB-Induced Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

2003 • 60 citations

Nitric Oxide–Induced Motility in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

2002 • 58 citations

The Kinase Inhibitor Fasudil (HA-1077) Reduces Intimal Hyperplasia through Inhibiting Migration and Enhancing Cell Loss of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

1999 • 52 citations

Inhibition of Rho-kinase by fasudil attenuated angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy in apolipoprotein E deficient mice

2005 • 51 citations

Role of Rho-Kinase and p27 in Angiotensin II–Induced Vascular Injury

2005 • 50 citations

Signal Transduction in Matrix Contraction and the Migration of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Three-Dimensional Matrix

2003 • 49 citations

Urokinase-induced migration of human vascular smooth muscle cells requires coupling of the small GTPases RhoA and Rac1 to the Tyk2/PI3-K signalling pathway

2003 • 48 citations

Role of Rho‐Associated Protein Kinase in Tone and Calcium Sensitivity of Cannulated Rat Mesenteric Small Arteries

2001 • 47 citations

Early activation of p160^ROCK by pressure overload in rat heart

2003 • 43 citations

Interaction of Rho‐kinase with myosin II at stress fibres

2004 • 39 citations

Rho-Kinase Inhibition Reduces Neointima Formation after Vascular Injury by Enhancing Bax Expression and Apoptosis

2003 • 39 citations

Involvement of RhoA/Rho Kinase Pathway in Myogenic Tone in the Rabbit Facial Vein

2005 • 38 citations

Rho-associated kinases play a role in endocardial cell differentiation and migration

2004 • 33 citations

The signaling protein Rho is necessary for vascular smooth muscle migration and survival but not for proliferation

2002 • 31 citations

Stent Implantation Activates RhoA in Human Arteries: Inhibitory Effect of Rapamycin

2004 • 23 citations

Constitutional Rho-Kinase Regulates Atrioventricular Nodal Conduction and Ventricular Repolarization of the Canine Heart

2003 • 8 citations