NBQX disodium salt, an AMPA receptor antagonist, is used for an in vitro treatment of human smooth muscle cells

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are key constituents of both normal arteries and atherosclerotic plaques. They have an ability to adapt to changes in the local environment by undergoing phenotypic modulation. The amino-acid glutamate has been associated with CVD risk and VSMCs metabolism in experimental vascular research, and glutamate receptors regulate VSMC biology and promote pulmonary vascular remodeling. In vitro, human carotid artery SMCs expressed AMPA- type receptors, and selective AMPA-type receptor blocking inhibited expression of typical contractile markers and promoted pathways associated with VSMC phenotypic modulation.