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A Personal Perspective on the Development of Our Understanding of the Myogenic Control Mechanisms of Gut Motor Function

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The Enteric Nervous System

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((ANS,volume 891))

Abstract

Myogenic control mechanisms play a role in all motor activities of the gut. Myogenic control systems are defined here as control systems that are intrinsic to the smooth muscle cells and/or interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and that can operate without an essential contribution of the intrinsic (ENS) and extrinsic nervous systems. In vivo however, the ENS and the myogenic control systems always work in cooperation. Although myogenic control plays a role in every gut organ, this review focuses on the peristaltic and segmentation activity of the small intestine. It provides some historical perspectives and some discussion on the development of our understanding of the cooperative nature of the myogenic and neurogenic control mechanisms. It highlights how some influential papers inadvertently provided hindrance to full understanding, it discusses how the guinea pig model has hampered acceptance of myogenic control systems and it provides some background into the genesis of our understanding of control mechanisms involving ICC.

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Acknowledgement

 Research support has been received throughout these years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Jan D. Huizinga

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  1. Jan D. Huizinga
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Correspondence to Jan D. Huizinga .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Stuart Brierley

  2. Department of Human Physiology, School of Medicine, Flinders University,, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Marcello Costa

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Huizinga, J.D. (2016). A Personal Perspective on the Development of Our Understanding of the Myogenic Control Mechanisms of Gut Motor Function. In: Brierley, S., Costa, M. (eds) The Enteric Nervous System. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 891. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27592-5_2

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