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Generation of Spontaneous Tone by Gastrointestinal Sphincters

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Smooth Muscle Spontaneous Activity

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1124))

Abstract

An important feature of the gastrointestinal (GI) muscularis externa is its ability to generate phasic contractile activity. However, in some GI regions, a more sustained contraction, referred to as “tone,” also occurs. Sphincters are muscles oriented in an annular manner that raise intraluminal pressure, thereby reducing or blocking the movement of luminal contents from one compartment to another. Spontaneous tone generation is often a feature of these muscles. Four distinct smooth muscle sphincters are present in the GI tract: the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the pyloric sphincter (PS), the ileocecal sphincter (ICS), and the internal anal sphincter (IAS). This chapter examines how tone generation contributes to the functional behavior of these sphincters. Historically, tone was attributed to contractile activity arising directly from the properties of the smooth muscle cells. However, there is increasing evidence that interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) play a significant role in tone generation in GI muscles. Indeed, ICC are present in each of the sphincters listed above. In this chapter, we explore various mechanisms that may contribute to tone generation in sphincters including: (1) summation of asynchronous phasic activity, (2) partial tetanus, (3) window current, and (4) myofilament sensitization. Importantly, the first two mechanisms involve tone generation through summation of phasic events. Thus, the historical distinction between “phasic” versus “tonic” smooth muscles in the GI tract requires revision. As described in this chapter, it is clear that the unique functional role of each sphincter in the GI tract is accompanied by a unique combination of contractile mechanisms.

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Acknowledgements

We are extremely grateful to the NIDDK for their support through Grant No. DK078736.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA

    Kathleen Keef & Caroline Cobine

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  1. Kathleen Keef
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  2. Caroline Cobine
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Correspondence to Kathleen Keef .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Hikaru Hashitani

  2. Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Richard J. Lang

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Keef, K., Cobine, C. (2019). Generation of Spontaneous Tone by Gastrointestinal Sphincters. In: Hashitani, H., Lang, R. (eds) Smooth Muscle Spontaneous Activity. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1124. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5895-1_2

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