Document Detail


Innervation of the human cardiac conduction system at birth.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  7686024     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To study the pattern of innervation of the conduction system of the neonatal heart in humans. DESIGN: A prospective analysis based on immunohistochemical and enzyme histochemical examination of newborn human hearts. SETTING: A general district hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fresh necropsy tissue. MATERIAL: Hearts of three neonatal humans with no cardiac anomaly, freshly taken at necropsy. METHODS: Serial sectioning to obtain a three dimensional reconstruction of the cardiac conduction system, followed by identification of the pattern of innervation by immunohistochemical and enzyme histochemical techniques; with a panel of antisera against protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 as a general neural indicator; dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) as indicators for sympathetic neural tissue; and selected neuropeptides--namely, neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), and substance P (SP). Gomori's technique was used for locating cholinesterase activity. RESULTS: PGP immunoreactive (PGP-IR) nerves were present in large numbers in the sinus node, atrioventricular (AV) node, and penetrating atrioventricular bundle; in moderate numbers in the branching bundle; and occasionally in the bundle branches. Small numbers of DBH-IR and TH-IR nerves were seen in the sinus and AV nodes, mainly perivascularly; there were few in the penetrating and branching bundles and none in the bundle branches. A few perivascular NPY-IR nerves were seen only in the sinus node. VIP-IR, CGRP-IR, and SP-IR nerves were not seen. Pseudocholinesterase activity was found in the conduction tissue, whereas occasional acetylcholinesterase positive nerves were found only in the sinus and AV nodes. CONCLUSION: A considerable innervation of the human cardiac conduction system is present at birth, although, by comparison with the results of other studies on adult tissue, the mature pattern has not yet been established. Thus it is still in the process of maturation, especially with regard to the acquisition of various neurotransmitters, including the more recently described neuropeptides.
Authors:
L T Chow; S S Chow; R H Anderson; J A Gosling
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  British heart journal     Volume:  69     ISSN:  0007-0769     ISO Abbreviation:  Br Heart J     Publication Date:  1993 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1993-07-29     Completed Date:  1993-07-29     Revised Date:  2010-03-24    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0370634     Medline TA:  Br Heart J     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  430-5     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Institute of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / analysis
Cholinesterases / analysis
Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / analysis
Female
Heart Conduction System* / chemistry,  cytology
Histocytochemistry
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Infant, Newborn
Male
Neurons / cytology
Neuropeptide Y / analysis
Prospective Studies
Substance P / analysis
Thiolester Hydrolases
Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / analysis
Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / analysis
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Neuropeptide Y; 33507-63-0/Substance P; 37221-79-7/Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; 83652-28-2/Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; EC 1.14.16.2/Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; EC 1.14.17.1/Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; EC 3.1.1.8/Cholinesterases; EC 3.1.2.-/Thiolester Hydrolases; EC 3.1.2.15/Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
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