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Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 294: G589-G594, 2008. First published December 20, 2007; doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00130.2007
0193-1857/08 $8.00
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REPORT

Deficiency of intramuscular ICC increases fundic muscle excitability but does not impede nitrergic innervation

Jan D. Huizinga, Louis W. C. Liu, Amanda Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth White, Sandeep Gill, Xuan-Yu Wang, Natalia Zarate, Lynn Krebs, Catherine Choi, Tanya Starret, Devika Dixit, and Jing Ye

Intestinal Disease Research Program, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Submitted 16 March 2007 ; accepted in final form 6 December 2007

ABSTRACT

The motility of the gastrointestinal tract is generated by smooth muscle cells and is controlled to a large extent by an intrinsic neural network. A gap of ~200 nm usually separates nerve varicosities from smooth muscle cells, which suggests that direct innervation of the smooth muscle by synapses does not occur. Enteric nerves do make synapse-like contact with proposed regulatory cells, the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which in turn may be in gap junction contact with smooth muscle cells. The role played by ICC in enteric innervation is controversial. Experimental evidence has been presented in vitro for the hypothesis that nitrergic inhibitory innervation is strongly reduced in the absence of ICC. However, in vivo data appear to dispute that. The present report provides evidence that explains the discrepancy between in vivo and in vitro data and provides evidence that inhibitory neurotransmitters can reach smooth muscle cells without hindrance when ICC are absent. The fundic musculature shows increased responses to substance P-mediated innervation and shows marked spontaneous activity, which is consistent with increased muscle excitability.

interstitial cells of Cajal


Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. D. Huizinga, McMaster Univ., Intestinal Disease Research Program, Health Sciences Center, Rm. 3N5C, 1200 Main St. West, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada (e-mail: huizinga{at}mcmaster.ca)






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