title: Calcium signalling in Cajal-like interstitial cells of the lower urinary tract.
abstract: Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) serve several critical physiological roles in visceral smooth muscle organs, including acting as electrical pacemakers to modulate phasic contractile activity and as intermediaries in motor neurotransmission. The major roles of ICC have been described in the gastrointestinal tract, however, ICC-like cells (ICC-LC) can also be found in other visceral organs, including those of the lower urinary tract (LUT), where they provide similar functions, acting as electrical pacemakers and as intermediary cells involved in the modulation of neurotransmission to adjacent smooth muscle cells. The physiological functions of ICC-LC, in particular their role as pacemakers, relies on their ability to generate transient and propagating intracellular Ca(2+) events. The role of ICC-LC as pacemakers and neuromodulators in the LUT is increasingly apparent and the study of their intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics will provide a better understanding of their role in LUT excitability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology &Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
authors.forename: Bernard T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Drumm
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology &Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
authors.forename: Sang Don
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27106, USA.
authors.forename: Karl-Erik
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology &Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D056885:Interstitial Cells of Cajal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014513:Ureter / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D014521:Urethra / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium