Cajal间质细胞在胃肠道外分布及其功能的研究进展

Interstitial cells of Cajal outside gastrointestinal tract： distribu- tion and fuction

Cajal间质细胞在胃肠道中的分布和功能已得到充分的阐述。近年来，研究发现，Cajal间质细胞不仅在胃肠道分布，在其他组织和器官中，如泌尿系统、心血管系统和生殖系统、肝脏、胰腺等，都发现了该类细胞的存在。目前，关于Cajal间质细胞的鉴定已经有了一套比较完整的诊断程序，这在一定程度上促进了对该细胞在胃肠道外器官和组织的分布及其功能的研究。Cajal间质细胞在泌尿系统中的作用似与平滑肌的自发性收缩有关，在循环系统中似与房颤的发生相关，但还需要进一步的研究。Cajal间质细胞在其他器官和组织中的作用和功能还未知。

It has been fully studied about interstitial cells of Cajal in gastrointestinal tract, and in recent years these cells are discovered in other tissues and organs, such as urinary system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, liver, pancreas and mammary gland. The criterion and process reported by some au- thors are reliable for invesgating these cells, and can be helped to study the distribution and function of these cells outside gastrointestinal tract. It is showed that the ruction of interstitial cells of Cajal exsited in urinary organs seems to be related with the spontaneous rhythmic contraction of smooth muscle, while in heart seems to cause atrial fibrillation in humans, but the poteinal fuctions of interstitial cells of Cajal in other tissues and organs have not been revealed.