위장관 향도잡이 세포

Pacemaker Cells in Gastrointestinal Tract

The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) have functions o f pacemaker cells in gastrointestinal (GI) tract and neuromediator cells in the tunica muscularis of the GI tract. The ICC generate the rhythmic oscillations in membrane potential known as slow wave potentials and this generation of slow wave potentials is due to spontaneous inward currents called pacemaker currents. Although the exact mechanisms about these events still unclear, many reports suggested that the activation o f non-selective K+ channels, Cl channel, and spontaneous intracellular Ca2+activities in ICC involve the producing of pacemaker activity. Also, it is well known that many endogenous agents such as neurotransmitters, hormones, and paracrine substances modulate GI tract motility by influencing ICC.