Mechanotransduction and the Myogenic Response in Diabetes - The Mechanobiology of Obesity and Related Diseases - page 231

Fig. 2 Candidate mechanisms linking increased intraluminal pressure to the activation of smooth
muscle cell ion channels and subsequent membrane depolarization. Membrane depolarization
occurs as a result of activation of NSCCs. While four models are presented it is conceivable that
these mechanisms interact or are simultaneously activated. These models include direct activation
of stretch-activated ion channels (a); opening of ion channels via second messengers produced
following the activation of a stretch-sensitive membrane protein (b); activation of ion channels by
ECM-integrin interactions (outside-in signaling) (c); and opening of ion channels via stretch-
dependent effects on the cytoskeleton (inside-out signaling) (d)