Enterochromaffin (EC) cells (also known as Kulchitsky cells) are a type of
enteroendocrine cell
Enteroendocrine cells are specialized cells of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas with endocrine function. They produce gastrointestinal hormones or peptides in response to various stimuli and release them into the bloodstream for systemic ...
, and
neuroendocrine cell
Neuroendocrine cells are cells that receive neuronal input (through neurotransmitters released by nerve cells or neurosecretory cells) and, as a consequence of this input, release messenger molecules ( hormones) into the blood. In this way they br ...
. They reside alongside the
epithelium lining the lumen of the digestive tract and play a crucial role in gastrointestinal regulation, particularly intestinal motility and secretion.
They were discovered by
Nikolai Kulchitsky.
EC cells modulate
neuron
A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an membrane potential#Cell excitability, electrically excitable cell (biology), cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses. The neuron is the main component of nervous ...
signalling in the
enteric nervous system (ENS) via the secretion of the neurotransmitter
serotonin and other peptides. As enteric afferent and efferent nerves do not protrude into the intestinal lumen, EC cells act as a form of sensory transduction.
[ Serotonin in the ENS acts in synergy with other digestive hormones to regulate sensory and motor gastrointestinal reflexes. EC cells respond to both chemical and neurological stimuli. They are also reactive to mechanosensation, which is the case in the peristaltic reflex of the gut, and can be stimulated by a bolus moving through the bowel. Upon activation, EC cells release serotonin to act upon serotonin receptors on ENS neurons. Dependent on concentration, serotonin can then modulate peristaltic contraction and secretion through activation of ]smooth muscle
Smooth muscle is an involuntary non- striated muscle, so-called because it has no sarcomeres and therefore no striations (''bands'' or ''stripes''). It is divided into two subgroups, single-unit and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit ...
and