Members of this section have interests in the variation in signalling mechanisms regulating vascular development, maintenance and regression - in particular the Tie family of receptor tyrosine kinases; the pharmacology of nociceptin, opioid, vanilloid and urotensin receptors; how traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes promote mechanisms of human vascular cell injury and ageing, with particular emphasis on mitochondria; the structure, function and regulation of cardiovascular potassium and calcium channels; the effects of acute hyperglycaemia on cardiovascular ion channel regulation; diurnal variations in ventricular function and arrhythmias; ischaemic preconditioning and remote conditioning of cardiac muscle; inflammatory signalling pathways and platelet biology and haemostasis.