Atlas of Interstitial Cells of Cajal in the Gastrointestinal Tract [Hardcover]

This atlas will illustrate the distribution and morphological features of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) which are the key cells to understanding of the regulatory mechanism of gastrointestinal motility, since ICC act as both pacemaker and as intermediates in neural transmission, and since ICC show specific distribution patterns depending on their anatomical positions. All subtypes of ICC located in the different tissue layers and different levels of the gastrointestinal tract will be revealed by immunohistochemistry for Kit receptors and nerves by using mainly whole-mount stretch preparation of the guinea-pig tissues. Three-dimensional reconstruction of confocal images will particularly help the readers to understand the peculiar arrangement of ICC networks in situ and the correlation between ICC and nerves. Electron micrographs will help illustrate the characteristic features of ICC and their ultrastructural differences from fibroblasts, smooth muscles and other interstitial cells.

1 Introduction; 2 Stomach; 3 Small intestine; 4 Duodenum; 5 Colon; 6 Caecum; 7 Ileocaecal Junction; 8 ICC found in the submucosal layer; ?9 Ultrastructural demonstration of ICC;? 10 Signal-pathways between the nerves and muscles not by means of ICC; 11 Issues for future studies

Numerous large color micrographs illustrating in detail, all subtypes of ICC from the stomach to the colon

Stereo-micrographs help the reader to understand the 3-D network of ICC and their correlation to the nerves

High resolution electron micrographs clearly illustrate the ultrastructure of ICC

A complete understanding of ICC morphology<lcÑ