A research team at Toho University has revealed that ferulic acid (FA), a polyphenol abundant in rice bran, suppresses intestinal smooth muscle contractions by inhibiting voltage-dependent calcium ...

Ferulic acid suppresses ileal smooth muscle contraction by inhibiting calcium ion influx through voltage-dependent calcium channels. This action may help prevent or treat excessive intestinal motility ...

During digestion, food moves through the intestines with the help of peristalsis, a wave-like motion that is performed by smooth muscles that contract and relax. Scientists have long known that nerves ...

Researchers have found that immune cells called macrophages can trigger smooth muscle contractions in the intestinal tract, independent of nerve cells. Some 50 to 80 percent of cancer patients taking ...

After every meal, the intestines perform an action called peristalsis - moving food through their hollow interiors with coordinated contractions and relaxations of the smooth muscle. For more than a ...

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common form of adult-onset muscular dystrophy, affecting about 1 in 8,000 people. While it is well known for causing muscle weakness and stiffness, DM1 also ...

A key pressure-sensing protein involved in intestinal movement and inflammation regulation has been identified. Researchers from Harvard Medical School (MA, USA) and the Icahn School of Medicine at ...

Some 50 to 80 percent of cancer patients taking powerful chemotherapy drugs develop diarrhea, which can be severe and in some cases life-threatening. Their problems occur when contractions in the ...