Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25404319›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2014

Melanopsin mediates light-dependent relaxation in blood vessels.

Gautam Sikka, G Patrick Hussmann, Deepesh Pandey, Suyi Cao, Daijiro Hori, Jong Taek Park, Jochen Steppan, Jae Hyung Kim, Viachaslau Barodka, Allen C Myers and 7 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
69citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

69 citing papers in PubMed, 124 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Biomedical optics express · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. The interplay between form deprivation and dopamine signaling in regulating the expression of circadian rhythm-related genes in the retina of mice.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. β-Ionone facilitates ex vivo airway smooth muscle relaxation via extraocular opsin-3 light receptor activation.American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology · 2025
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Photobiomodulation therapy.JADA foundational science · 2025
    Review
  14. Light-sensitive CaProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024
    Article
  15. Melanopsin in the human and chicken choroid.Experimental eye research · 2024
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. A newbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024
    Article
  20. Article

9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Gautam SikkaDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
G Patrick HussmannDepartment of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205;
Deepesh PandeyDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Suyi CaoDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Daijiro HoriDepartment of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Jong Taek ParkDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Jochen SteppanDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Jae Hyung KimDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Viachaslau BarodkaDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Allen C MyersDepartment of Allergy and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224;
Lakshmi SanthanamDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205;
Daniel NyhanDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Marc K HalushkaDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287; and.
Raymond C KoehlerDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287;
Solomon H SnyderDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287; and ssnyder@jhmi.edu dberkow1@jhmi.edu.
Larissa A ShimodaDivision of Pulmonary Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224.
Dan E BerkowitzDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205; ssnyder@jhmi.edu dberkow1@jhmi.edu.
Johns Hopkins University · USJohns Hopkins Medicine · US

Funding

UNDERSTANDING NO SIGNALING RESULTING IN NEUROPROTECTION.P50DA000266 · NIDA · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI BARABAN, JAY M · 1985 to 2017
$45.2M
Arginase II, A Novel Target in AtherosclerosisR01HL089668 · NHLBI · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI BERKOWITZ, DAN E, ROMER, LEWIS H · 2011 to 2014
$1.6M
Transglutaminase 2 S-Nitrosylation: Role in Age-Related Vascular StiffnessR01HL105296 · NHLBI · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI BERKOWITZ, DAN E · 2010 to 2013
$1.6M
NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL089668NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL105296NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL105296-02NIDA NIH HHS DA000266NIDA NIH HHS P50 DA000266NIMH NIH HHS MH8501
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Melanopsin (opsin4; Opn4), a non-image-forming opsin, has been linked to a number of behavioral responses to light, including circadian photo-entrainment, light suppression of activity in nocturnal animals, and alertness in diurnal animals. We report a physiological role for Opn4 in regulating blood vessel function, particularly in the context of photorelaxation. Using PCR, we demonstrate that Opn4 (a classic G protein-coupled receptor) is expressed in blood vessels. Force-tension myography demonstrates that vessels from Opn4(-/-) mice fail to display photorelaxation, which is also inhibited by an Opn4-specific small-molecule inhibitor. The vasorelaxation is wavelength-specific, with a maximal response at ∼430-460 nm. Photorelaxation does not involve endothelial-, nitric oxide-, carbon monoxide-, or cytochrome p450-derived vasoactive prostanoid signaling but is associated with vascular hyperpolarization, as shown by intracellular membrane potential measurements. Signaling is both soluble guanylyl cyclase- and phosphodiesterase 6-dependent but protein kinase G-independent. β-Adrenergic receptor kinase 1 (βARK 1 or GRK2) mediates desensitization of photorelaxation, which is greatly reduced by GRK2 inhibitors. Blue light (455 nM) regulates tail artery vasoreactivity ex vivo and tail blood blood flow in vivo, supporting a potential physiological role for this signaling system. This endogenous opsin-mediated, light-activated molecular switch for vasorelaxation might be harnessed for therapy in diseases in which altered vasoreactivity is a significant pathophysiologic contributor.

Indexed as

LightAnimalsBlood VesselsBlotting, WesternCyclic GMPCyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 6G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2Laser-Doppler FlowmetryMelanopsinMiceMyographyReverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionRod OpsinsSignal TransductionVasodilationCyclic GMPCyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 6G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2GRK2 protein, mouseMelanopsinRod OpsinsGRK2melanopsinopsinphotorelaxationsignal transduction

Identifiers

PMID25404319
PMCPMC4273372
OpenAlexW1973650169

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.