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Electromechanical characteristics of the human colon in vitro: is there any difference between the right and left colon?

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Abstract

Purpose

We examined the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the smooth muscles in the human colon at the muscle cell, the muscle strip, and at the whole tissue levels

Methods

Conventional microelectrode recordings and tension recordings were performed.

Results

There was no difference in resting membrane potential, frequency, and amplitude of slow waves between the right and left colon; but there were significant differences in frequency and amplitude of the slow waves between inner circular muscle (CM) and longitudinal muscle (LM), and between inner CM and outer CM, but not between outer CM and LM. On tension recording of CM and LM strip and colonic segment, amplitude, frequency, and area under the curve showed no difference between the right and left colon. In whole colonic segment, high amplitude dominant waves (DW) were found both in CM and LM. Low amplitude non-DWs were detected only in CM, more commonly in right colon and propagated aborally. DWs in the CM were associated with DWs in the LM. In the CM of the left colon, all DWs in the CM propagetd aborally ending-up with DW in the LM layer. However, in the right colon, mixed pattern of propagation was detected in adjacent recording sites in 60% of tissues examined.

Conclusion

Electrophysiologic and mechanical characteristics were similar between the right and left human colon. However, the retrograde propagation of both DWs and non-DWs in the CM was more frequent in the right colon, accounting for mixing function in this region of the human colon.

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Abbreviations

CM:

circular smooth muscle

LM:

longitudinal smooth muscle

DW:

Dominant wave

AUC:

area under the curve

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the grant from the Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital (Grant No:0620081849)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehangno (28 Yeongeon-dong), Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-774, South Korea

    Eun Kyung Choe, Jung Sun Moon, Suk Bae Moon & Kyu Joo Park

  2. Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Jung Sun Moon & In-Suk So

  3. Healthcare Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, South Korea

    Eun Kyung Choe

Authors
  1. Eun Kyung Choe
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  2. Jung Sun Moon
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  3. Suk Bae Moon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyu Joo Park.

Additional information

Podium presentation at the biennial congress of the International Society of University Colon & Rectal Surgeons, San Diego, CA, USA, September 13-17, 2008

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Choe, E.K., Moon, J.S., Moon, S.B. et al. Electromechanical characteristics of the human colon in vitro: is there any difference between the right and left colon?. Int J Colorectal Dis 25, 1117–1126 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-010-0966-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-010-0966-x

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