Calcium-associated mechanisms in gut pacemaker activity.
A considerable body of evidence has revealed that interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), identified with c-Kit-immunoreactivity, act as gut pacemaker cells, with spontaneous Ca(2+) activity in ICC as the probable primary mechanism. Namely, intracellular (cytosolic) Ca(2+) oscillations in ICC periodically activate plasmalemmal Ca(2+)-dependent ion channels and thereby generate pacemaker potentials. This review will, thus, focus on Ca(2+)-associated mechanisms in ICC in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including auxiliary organs.
Nakayama
Shinsuke
S
Department of Cell Physiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. h44673a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Kajioka
Shunichi
S
Goto
Kazunori
K
Takaki
Miyako
M
Liu
Hong-Nian
HN
D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
D015220:Calcium Channels; D018118:Chloride Channels; D002118:Calcium