- Enterochromaffin cell
Enterochromaffin (EC) cells (Kulchitsky cells) are a type of enteroendocrine cell [MeshName|Enterochromaffin+Cells] occurring in the
epithelia lining the lumen of thegastrointestinal tract .Function
They produce and contain about 90% of the body's store of
serotonin (5-HT).In the gastrointestinal tract, 5-HT is important in response to chemical, mechanical or
pathological stimuli in the lumen. It activates both secretory andperistaltic reflexes, and activatesvagal afferents (via 5-HT3 receptors) that signal to the brain (important in the generation ofnausea ).Ondansetron is an antagonist of the 5-HT3 receptor and is an effectiveanti-emetic .Etymology
They are called "entero" [ [http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3258 Entero- definition - Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on MedTerms ] ] meaning related to the gut and "chromaffin" because of a
chromium salt reaction that they share withchromaffin cell s of theadrenal medulla (adrenal glands ). [GPnotebook|1516961798]"Enterochromaffin-like cells"
Another population of chromaffin cells is found only in the stomach wall, called
enterochromaffin-like cell s (ECL). They look like EC cells but do not contain 5-HT.ECL cells respond to
acetylcholine released by thevagus nerve and they in turn releasehistamine , which will stimulate theparietal cells to producegastric acid .Pathophysiology
Kulchitsky cells, or neuroendocrine cells, have been implicated in the origin of
small cell lung cancer . [ [http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic405.htm eMedicine - Lung Cancer, Small Cell : Article by Abid Irshad ] ]ee also
*
Carcinoid syndrome
*Serotonin References
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