Electrical rhythmicity in gastrointestinal muscles has been studied for a century, but the
pacemakers driving this phenomenon have been elusive. Anatomic studies suggest that …

1. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICs) have been proposed as pacemakers in the gastrointestinal
tract. We studied the characteristics and distribution of ICs and electrical activity of small …

Part of the regulation of gastrointestinal (GI) smooth muscles is provided by nonadrenergic
noncholinergic (NANC) nerves. Stimulation of these nerves, either by field stimulation or via …

▪ 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 of …

The structural relationships between interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), varicose nerve fibers, and
smooth muscle cells in the gastrointestinal tract have led to the suggestion that ICC may be …

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are interposed between enteric neurons and smooth muscle
cells in gastrointestinal muscles. The role of intramuscular ICC (IC-IM) in mediating enteric …

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 …

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 …

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

It is believed that depending on the thermodynamic stability of the 5′-strand and the 3′-strand
in the stem-loop structure of a precursor microRNA (pre-miRNA), cells preferentially …