Intermittent left cervical vagal nerve stimulation damages the stellate ganglia and reduces the ventricular rate during sustained atrial fibrillation in ambulatory dogs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The effects of intermittent open-loop vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) on the ventricular rate (VR) during atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unclear.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that VNS damages the stellate ganglion (SG) and improves VR control during persistent AF.

Methods

We performed left cervical VNS in ambulatory dogs while recording the left SG nerve activity (SGNA) and vagal nerve activity. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining were used to assess neuronal cell death in the SG.

Results

We induced persistent AF by atrial pacing in 6 dogs, followed by intermittent VNS with short ON-time (14 seconds) and long OFF-time (66 seconds). The in

SUBMITTER: Chinda K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4762711 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature