Rhythmic calcium transients in smooth muscle cells of the mouse internal anal sphincter

Abstract

The internal anal sphincter (IAS) exhibits slow waves (SWs) and tone that are dependent upon L‐type Ca2+ channels (CavL) suggesting that phasic events (ie, SWs) play a fundamental role in tone generation. The present study further examined phasic activity in the IAS by measuring the spatiotemporal properties of Ca2+ transients (CTs) in IAS smooth muscle cells (SMCs).