Muscularis macrophages, as the most abundant immune cells in the intestinal muscularis externa, exhibit tissue protective phenotype in the steady state. Owing to tremendous advances in technology, we now know the fact that muscularis macrophages are a heterogeneous population of cells which could be divided into different functional subsets depending on their anatomic niches. There is emerging evidence showing that these subsets, through molecular interactions with their neighbours, take part in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes in the gut. In this review, we summarize recent progress (particularly over the past 4 years) on distribution, morphology, origin and functions of muscularis macrophages and, where possible, the characteristics of specific subsets in response to the microenvironment they occupy, with particular emphasis on their role in muscular inflammation. Furthermore, we also integrate their role in inflammation-related gastrointestinal disorders, such as post-operative ileus and diabetic gastroparesis, in order to propose future therapeutic strategies.

肌层巨噬细胞作为肠外肌层中最丰富的免疫细胞，在稳态下表现出组织保护表型。由于技术的巨大进步，我们现在知道肌层巨噬细胞是一个异质的细胞群，可以根据其解剖位置分为不同的功能子集。越来越多的证据表明，这些亚群通过与邻近的分子相互作用，参与肠道内广泛的生理和病理生理过程。在这篇综述中，我们总结了肌层巨噬细胞的分布、形态、起源和功能方面的最新进展（特别是过去 4 年），并在可能的情况下，总结了特定亚群响应其所占据的微环境的特征，特别强调了它们的作用。在肌肉炎症中的作用。此外，我们还整合了它们在炎症相关胃肠道疾病（例如术后肠梗阻和糖尿病性胃轻瘫）中的作用，以提出未来的治疗策略。