Evidence of structural and functional plasticity occurring within the intracardiac nervous system of spontaneously hypertensive rats
Jesse L. Ashton, Liam Argent, Joscelin E. G. Smith, Sangjun Jin, Gregory B. Sands, Bruce H. Smaill, Johanna M. Montgomery
Abstract
We have developed intracardiac neuron whole cell recording techniques in atrial preparations from control and spontaneous hypertensive rats. This has enabled the identification of significant synaptic plasticity in the intracardiac nervous system, including enhanced postsynaptic current frequency, increased synaptic terminal density, and altered postsynaptic receptors. This increased synaptic drive together with altered cardiac neuron electrophysiology could increase intracardiac nervous system excitability and contribute to the substrate for atrial arrhythmia in hypertensive heart disease.
Topics & Concepts
Intracardiac injectionPostsynaptic potentialNeuroscienceNervous systemSynaptic plasticityElectrophysiologyMedicineNeuronCardiologyHypertensive heart diseaseInternal medicineReceptorBiologyHeart failureCardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmiasReceptor Mechanisms and SignalingIon channel regulation and function