Vol.12, No 1, 2005 pp. 1 - 5
UC 616.34
INTERSTITIAL CELLS OF CAJAL -
PACEMAKERS OF THE INTESTINAL MUSCULATURE
Goran Radenković1, Ivan Nikolić1,
Vera Todorović2
1Institute
of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Niš, Serbia and
Montenegro
2Institute
for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia and
Montenegro
E-mail: goranr@medfak.ni.ac.yu
Summary. The paper reviews the present-day knowledge on the
origin,
location, morphology, function, and identification of interstitial
cells
of Cajal (ICC). ICC include several types of mesenchymal cells,
spindle-shaped
or stellate, found within the musculature of the gastrointestinal
tract.
Some types of ICC act as pacemakers of the intestinal musculature,
while
others are implicated in the modulation of enteric neurotransmission.
Current
methods for ICC identification rely on a combination of ultrastructural
characteristics as defined by transmission electron microscopy and
immunohistochemical
analyses with antibodies to the Kit receptor. ICC play a crucial role
in
the regular intestinal activity, which is the reason why changes in
these
cells may lead to various intestinal disorders.
Key words: Interstitial cells of Cajal, enteric nervous system,
peristaltic contractions
INTERSTICIJALNE ĆELIJE CAJALA -
PEJSMEKERI GASTROINTESTINALNE MUSKULATURE
Kratak sadržaj: U radu je dat pregled dosadašnjih saznanja o
poreklu,
lokalizaciji, morfologiji, funkciji i identifikaciji intersticijalnih
ćelija
Cajala (ICC). ICC obuhvataju više tipova ćelija mezenhimskog porekla,
vretenastog
ili zvezdastog oblika, koje su lokalizovane unutar muskulature
gastrointestinalnog
trakta. Pojedini tipovi ICC predstavljaju pejsmekere crevne
muskulature,
dok su drugi tipovi uključeni u modulaciju enterične neurotransmisije.
Savremene metode identifikacije ICC podrazumevaju kombinovanje
ultrastrukturnih
karakteristika opisanih pomoću TEM i imunohistohemijskih ispitivanja
pomoću
antitela na Kit receptor. ICC imaju ključnu ulogu u normalnom
funkcionisanju
creva, zbog čega promene u ovim ćelijama mogu biti uzrok raznih
intestinalnih
poremećaja.
Ključne reči: Intersticijalne ćelije Cajala, enterični nervni
sistem, peristaltičke kontrakcije
