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. 1989 Sep;86(18):7280–7284. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.18.7280

Spontaneous electrical activity of interstitial cells of Cajal isolated from canine proximal colon.

P Langton 1, S M Ward 1, A Carl 1, M A Norell 1, K M Sanders 1
PMCID: PMC298041  PMID: 2550938

Abstract

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) have been suggested as pacemaker cells in the gastrointestinal tract. A method was developed to isolate ICC from the slow-wave pacemaker region of the canine proximal colon. These cells were identified under phase-contrast microscopy, and their identity was verified by comparing their ultrastructure with the morphology of ICC in situ. Patch-clamp experiments demonstrated that these cells are excitable; voltage-dependent inward and outward currents were elicited by depolarization. Inward current transients were identified as calcium currents. A portion of the outward current appears to be due to Ca2+-activated K channels commonly expressed in these cells. ICC were also spontaneously active, generating electrical depolarizations similar in waveform to slow-wave events of intact colonic muscles. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ICC initiate rhythmicity in the colon.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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