Abstract: The application concerns oxidative metabolism in smooth muscle cells and to methods and materials related thereto. Provided is a method which is a medium suitable for the support of oxidative metabolism comprises: 1) incubating a cell or tissue sample with a specimen derived from a patient wherein the sample comprises smooth muscle cells; 2) measuring a marker of oxidative metabolism of the cell or tissue sample; and 3) detecting an increase in oxidative metabolism which is not attributable to a contractile demand for ATP, such as an increase in oxidative metabolism being indicative of the existence in a patient of an agent or combination of agents able to cause an increase in oxidative metabolism in smooth muscle cells.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for measuring non-contractile oxidative metabolism in smooth muscle cells comprising providing a medium suitable for the support of oxidative metabolism, incubating a cell or tissue sample with a specimen from a patient, measuring a marker of oxidative metabolism in the incubate, and detecting an increase in oxidative metabolism which is not attributable to a contractile demand for ATP. Such an increase in oxidative metabolism will be indicative of the existence of an agent or combination of agents able to cause an increase in oxidative metabolism in smooth muscle cells, and thus provides means for diagnosing and monitoring various pathologies associated therewith.