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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Visualization of the Interstitial Cells of Cajal ICC Network in Mice
Published on: July 27, 2011
Is Interstitial Cells of Cajal‒opathy Present in Gastroparesis?
Mohammad Bashashati1, Richard W McCallum1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, USA.
Abstract:
Gastroparesis (GP), defined as delayed gastric emptying in the absence of any mechanical obstruction, is a challenging clinical condition, mainly because of limited treatment options. Studies in animal models of delayed gastric emptying as well as patients with gastroparesis revealed depletion or ultrastructural changes of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the gastric tissue, recently termed ICC-opathy. ICC are the pacemakers of the gastrointestinal tract and are involved in the transmission of the neuronal signaling to the smooth muscles. Therefore, lack of ICC could be one explanation of delayed gastric emptying in gastroparetic patients. How frequently ICC changes are observed in gastroparesis is not yet clear. In this review, the data on gastric ICC counts and morphology in animal models and patients with gastroparesis are discussed.
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