近年来大量研究发现,Cajal间质细胞(ICC)是胃肠道的起搏细胞,具有自发性电活动和产生、传播慢波的功能。超微结构研究发现,ICC与胃肠平滑肌细胞间存在缝隙连接,并能够传导肠神经系统至平滑肌的信号,对胃肠运动具有非常重要的调节作用。本文主要就近年来有关这方面的研究作一概述。 In recent years, a large number of studies have found that Cajal interstitial cells (ICC) are gastrointestinal pacemaker cells with spontaneous electrical activity and the ability to produce and transmit slow waves. Ultrastructural studies have found that there is a gap junction between ICC and gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells and can transmit signals from the enteric nervous system to the smooth muscle, which plays a very important regulatory role in gastrointestinal motility. This article mainly summarizes the researches in this area in recent years.