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Related Concept Videos

Functions of Smooth Muscles01:23

Functions of Smooth Muscles

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Smooth muscles are an important type of muscle tissue that plays a vital role in the involuntary movements of internal organs. For example, they help regulate the movement of food through the gut and the flow of blood through the circulatory system.
Function of visceral smooth muscles
Visceral smooth muscle is found in the walls of all hollow organs, except the heart, and is a key player in the involuntary movements that drive the functioning of these internal organs. This tissue is arranged in...
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Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles01:13

Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles

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Smooth muscle tissue is a type of muscle tissue that can be found lining various vital organs in the human body, including the lungs, blood vessels, digestive tract, and respiratory tract. This type of tissue is responsible for regulating the movements of these organs, playing crucial roles in the functioning of various systems, including the vascular, digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems.
Structure of smooth muscle cell
Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped with tapering ends and a...
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Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

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Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
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Fascicle Arrangement in Skeletal Muscles01:25

Fascicle Arrangement in Skeletal Muscles

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Fascicles are bundles of muscle fibers in a skeletal muscle. Muscle fascicle arrangement is directly associated with the power and range of motion of various muscles. The configuration of these fascicles can vary, leading to different functional outcomes.
The four primary types of muscle based on fascicle arrangement are:
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Esophagus01:24

Esophagus

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The esophagus, a muscular conduit linking the pharynx and stomach, measures roughly 10 inches (25.4 cm) and sits behind the trachea. It remains collapsed when not swallowing. The esophagus follows a predominantly straight path through the thoracic mediastinum and enters the abdominal cavity through a diaphragmatic opening known as the esophageal hiatus.
The movement of edibles from the pharynx into the esophagus is facilitated by the upper esophageal sphincter, which is formed primarily by the...
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Gastric Motility01:16

Gastric Motility

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Gastric motility is the coordinated contraction and relaxation of stomach muscles that convert ingested food into chyme, a semi-liquid substance ready for further digestion in the intestines. The process begins with the vagus nerve inducing the relaxation of the smooth muscles in the fundus and body of the stomach, allowing these regions to expand and accommodate up to approximately 1.5 liters of food and liquid.
Peristaltic Waves and Chyme Formation
Upon food entry, the stomach initiates...
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Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology
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Bioengineering functional human sphincteric and non-sphincteric gastrointestinal smooth muscle constructs.

Stephen L Rego1, Elie Zakhem2, Giuseppe Orlando3

  • 1Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.

Methods (San Diego, Calif.)
|August 29, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Researchers bioengineered 3D human gastrointestinal constructs to model gut motility. These models mimic sphincteric and non-sphincteric smooth muscle cell functions, offering new tools for studying motility disorders and tissue replacement.

Keywords:
BioengineeringGastrointestinalPylorusSmooth muscle cells

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Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Bioengineering
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Gastrointestinal (GI) tract digestion and motility rely on smooth muscle cells (SMCs).
  • Current 3D in vitro models often neglect SMCs, focusing primarily on epithelial cells.
  • Motility disorders impact both tonic (sphincteric) and phasic (non-sphincteric) SMCs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To bioengineer 3D human pyloric sphincter and small intestinal (SI) constructs in vitro.
  • To recapitulate the distinct contractile phenotypes of sphincteric and non-sphincteric human GI SMCs.
  • To create functional GI tissue mimics for studying disease and potential replacement.

Main Methods:

  • Development of bioengineered 3D human pylorus and circular SI SMC constructs.
  • Assessment of contractile phenotypes, including basal tone generation.
  • Pharmacological testing with potassium chloride (KCl), acetylcholine (ACh), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP).

Main Results:

  • Bioengineered constructs displayed a contractile phenotype, mimicking native GI SMCs.
  • Pylorus SMC constructs exhibited higher basal tone, characteristic of sphincteric muscles.
  • Both construct types responded appropriately to contractile and relaxant stimuli (KCl, ACh, VIP).

Conclusions:

  • This study presents the first bioengineered human pylorus constructs retaining a sphincteric phenotype.
  • These constructs serve as valuable models for investigating GI motility disorders.
  • The engineered tissues hold potential for future regenerative medicine applications in the GI tract.