title: Physiological study of interstitial cells of Cajal identified by vital staining.
abstract: Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) form networks that intercalate between the enteric nervous system and smooth muscle cells and play a fundamental role in the control of gastrointestinal motility by initiating rhythmic electrical activity. In this report, we used a method to examine the physiological and morphological properties of ICC in living, intact tissues. ACK2, an anti-Kit antibody, was conjugated to a fluorescent probe and used to identify individual ICC for intracellular electrical recordings, to record changes in intracellular calcium concentration using fluorescent dyes and for confocal microscopy. Cyclic changes in intracellular calcium concentration were recorded in ICC with a frequency similar to the electrical slow wave. In addition, injection of a fluorescent dye into single ICC enabled the three-dimensional reconstruction of single myenteric plexus ICC within the intact network. The data show that ICC in intact networks from the myenteric plexus region in living tissues in the guinea-pig antrum exhibit an electrical slow wave, and that intracellular calcium oscillates at a frequency similar to the slow wave.
authors.affiliation: Enteric Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanani
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Ermilov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malysz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Belzer
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Szurszewski
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farrugia
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: C417561:Alexa 488 hydrazide; D000814:Aniline Compounds; C409648:Fluo 4; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006575:Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring; D006834:Hydrazines; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014966:Xanthenes; C068483:rhod-2; C071334:calcium crimson; D002118:Calcium