Fig. 7

Defective autophagy in VSMCs increases maximum contraction and sensitivity to depolarization induced by increasing extracellular K⁺. Concentration–response curves of contractions elicited by K⁺ in aortic segments of Atg7^+/+ SM22α-Cre⁺ (+/+) and Atg7^F/F SM22α-Cre⁺ (F/F) mice under control conditions (a) and in the presence of 300 µM L-NAME (b). Maximal force (c) and EC₅₀ values (d) were determined in the absence and presence of 300 µM L-NAME from non-linear log(agonist)-response fits with variable slope (four parameter fits). Two-way ANOVA with genotype and L-NAME effect indicated and with Sidak’s multiple comparisons test. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 (n = 7)