Smooth muscles are complex tissues containing a variety of cells in addition to muscle cells.
Interstitial cells of mesenchymal origin interact with and form electrical connectivity with …

Gastrointestinal motility results from coordinated contractions of the tunica muscularis, the
muscular layers of the alimentary canal. Throughout most of the gastrointestinal tract …

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a multifunctional signaling organelle that controls a wide
range of cellular processes such as the entry and release of Ca2+, sterol biosynthesis …

Our understanding of human colonic motility, and autonomic reflexes that generate motor
patterns, has increased markedly through high-resolution manometry. Details of the motor …

▪ Abstract In the gastrointestinal tract, phasic contractions are caused by electrical activity
termed slow waves. Slow waves are generated and actively propagated by interstitial cells …

Background & Aims: Most gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have gain-of-function
mutations of c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT) gene, but some GISTs do not. We …

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are implicated in the regulation of gut peristalsis and are
immunostained by antibodies against Kit (CD117), a tyrosine kinase receptor. Most …

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) generate pacemaker activity (slow waves) in gastrointestinal
(GI) smooth muscles, but the mechanism (s) of pacemaker activity are controversial. Several …

Peristaltic motor activity of the gut is an essential activity to sustain life. In each gut organ, a
multitude of overlapping mechanisms has developed to acquire the ability of coordinated …

Millions of patients worldwide suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders such as
gastroparesis. These disorders typically include debilitating symptoms, such as chronic …