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Comment on "The Memory of the Heart"
1Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP, UK. sejjran@ucl.ac.uk.
Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease
|December 22, 2018
Summary
The myocardial band theory of cardiac memory lacks histological validation. Evidence shows cardiomyocytes form a 3D mesh, contradicting the band concept for understanding ventricular function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Cardiac Anatomy
- Histology
Background:
- The myocardial band concept, proposed by Torrent Guasp and supported by Buckberg, suggests a specific myocardial structure related to cardiac memory.
- This concept posits that the ventricular cone can be unwrapped into a myocardial band extending from the pulmonary to the aortic root.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the histological and anatomical evidence supporting the myocardial band concept.
- To contrast the myocardial band theory with established evidence of cardiomyocyte arrangement in the ventricular cone.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing scientific literature, focusing on histological studies and anatomical dissections.
- Analysis of evidence presented in recent reviews concerning ventricular wall structure.
Main Results:
- The myocardial band concept lacks validation through histological or other boundary-revealing techniques.
- Abundant evidence demonstrates that cardiomyocytes are arranged in a three-dimensional mesh within the ventricular cone walls, not a distinct band.
- The boundaries proposed for the myocardial band have not been histologically confirmed.
Conclusions:
- The myocardial band concept, as presented by Cirillo and previously by Torrent Guasp and Buckberg, is not supported by current histological and anatomical evidence.
- Understanding ventricular function requires acknowledging the three-dimensional mesh structure of cardiomyocytes, contradicting the linear myocardial band model.