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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
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A Modified Method for Heterotopic Mouse Heart Transplantion
Published on: June 23, 2014
The heart reinnervates after transplantation
D A Murphy1, G W Thompson, J L Ardell
1Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|July 13, 2000
Summary
Cardiac reinnervation after transplantation is complex. The intrinsic cardiac nervous system remodels, receiving altered sympathetic and parasympathetic input, impacting cardiac control.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Neuroscience
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
Background:
- Cardiac reinnervation post-transplantation remains controversial.
- Mechanisms of sympathetic and parasympathetic reinnervation are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cardiac reinnervation after autotransplantation.
- To assess the functional recovery of sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent neurons and intrinsic cardiac neurons.
Main Methods:
- Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in dogs post-transplantation.
- Electrical and chemical stimulation of cardiac neurons in vivo and in vitro.
- Assessment of ventricular tissue catecholamine content, alpha-tubulin expression, and beta-adrenergic receptor properties.
Main Results:
- Nerves were observed crossing suture lines, indicating potential reinnervation.
- Sympathetic stimulation enhanced cardiodynamics; parasympathetic stimulation caused bradycardia in some dogs.
- Transplanted intrinsic cardiac neurons showed altered responses to nicotine and angiotensin II, with reduced catecholamine and alpha-tubulin content.
Conclusions:
- The intrinsic cardiac nervous system exhibits remodeling post-transplantation with altered extracardiac neuronal input.
- Heart rate variability and beta-adrenergic receptor function do not fully reflect neuronal changes.
- Direct assessment of neuronal behavior is crucial for understanding cardiac control post-transplantation.
