Differential densities of cholinergic nerves in canine supraventricular regions of hearts

Abstract Purpose Cholinergic nerve plays an important role in the induction and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Cholinergic innervation at supraventricular tissues is considered to be the histological basis and intervention-associated target site for the arrhythmia; however, the distributio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cardiology 2013-03, Vol.61 (3), p.232-236
Main Authors: Li, Zhe, MD, PhD, Zhao, Qing-Yan, MD, PhD, Huang, He, MD, PhD, Yang, Bo, MD, PhD, Jiang, Hong, MD, PhD, Huang, Cong-Xin, MD, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial Fibrillation - pathology
Cardiovascular
Cholinergic nerve
Cholinergic Neurons - pathology
Cholinergic Neurons - physiology
Dogs
Heart - innervation
Histology
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Immunohistochemistry - methods
Innervation
Male
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Summary:Abstract Purpose Cholinergic nerve plays an important role in the induction and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Cholinergic innervation at supraventricular tissues is considered to be the histological basis and intervention-associated target site for the arrhythmia; however, the distribution of cholinergic nerve in supraventricular tissues has not been clearly studied. In this study, we investigated the cholinergic nerve innervation in canine supraventricular regions of hearts. Methods We performed histological and immunohistochemical staining on canine tissues of left atrial appendage (LAA), right atrial appendage (RAA), left atrium (LA), right atrium (RA), atrial septum (AS), crista terminalis (CT), pulmonary vein (PV), and super vena cava (SVC) using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and antibodies to choline acetyltransferase. Results Normal canine cardiovascular histological structures were shown from H&E staining. Cholinergic nerve densities at LAA and RAA were significantly higher than LA, which was higher than RA, but no significant difference was observed between LAA and RAA. Furthermore, RA was significantly higher than AS, CT, PV, and SVC and there were no significant differences among the latter four. Conclusion The heterogeneity of different densities of cholinergic nerve innervation of canine supraventricular regions establishes the histological basis of cholinergic nerve-mediated pathological conditions.
ISSN:0914-5087
1876-4738
DOI:10.1016/j.jjcc.2012.12.003