Is calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells induced by secondary calciprotein particles and enhanced by tumor necrosis factor-α?
Secondary, but not primary CPP, induce VSMC calcification. Secondary CPP induce the expression and release of TNF-α, which enhances calcification via its receptor TNFR1.
Our novel findings indicated that simvastatin attenuated formalin-induced nociceptive responses by inhibiting microglial RhoA and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Inactivation of RhoA-p38 signaling pathway may be a pharmacologic target for treating microglia-directed central nervous system inflammation and chronic pain conditions.