ENTEROCHROMAFFIN CELLS IN FUNCTIONAL GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders, such as chronic constipation, dysphagia, and fecal impaction, are more common in the elderly. In the vascular system, increased tissue stiffness with age is associated with a decline in contractile function of smooth muscle cells (SMCs)…

BACKGROUND: Muscularis macrophages (MMs) reside in the gut muscularis propria. A population of MMs share a phenotype with microglia and produce a large amount of Complement component 1qA (C1qa)…

The wiring of the enteric nervous system (ENS) is a dynamic process throughout development and adulthood. In the embryo, enteric neural crest derived cells expand and differentiate into the glia and neurons that form the ENS…