Molecular basis for vasorelaxant effects of rosemary!

The Abbott and Jepps labs have discovered the molecular basis for relaxation of blood vessels by rosemary, finding that two compounds – carnosic acid and carnosol – activate KCNQ4 and KCNQ5 channels in vascular smooth muscle. Congratulations to co-first authors Drs. Rian Manville and Sam Baldwin! The paper is published in FASEB Journal.

An illustration showing how the medicinal plant rosemary relaxes blood vessels by activating vascular smooth muscle KCNQ channels.