Frequency of ICC Pacemaker Cells
The frequency of ICC pacemaker activity differs in different regions of the GI tract:
- 3 per minute in the stomach
- 12 per minute in the duodenum
- 10 per minute in the ileum
- 3 per minute in the colon
ICC also mediate neural input from enteric motor neurons. Animals lacking ICC have greatly reduced responses to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, released from excitatory motor neurons, and to the transmitter, nitric oxide, released from inhibitory motor neurons. Loss of ICC in disease, therefore, may interrupt normal neural control of gastrointestinal (GI) contractions and lead to functional GI disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome.
ICC also express mechano-sensitive mechanisms that cause these cells to respond to stretch. Stretching GI muscles can affect the resting potentials of ICC and affect the frequency of pacemaker activity.
ICC are also critical in the propagation of electrical slow waves. ICC form a network through which slow wave activity can propagate actively. If this network is broken, then 2 regions of muscle will function independently.
Read more about this topic: Interstitial Cell Of Cajal
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