A new therapeutic approach for postoperative systemic inflammation: effectiveness of epicardial ganglionated plexus stimulation

The Role of Cardiac Ganglia in the Prevention of Coronary Atherosclerosis: An Analytical Examination of Cholesterol-fed Rabbits

Background

The heart is innervated by the autonomic nervous system, which contributes to the control of the heart’s rhythm and coronary circulation. It has been suggested that the cardiac fibers of the vagus nerve play important roles in controlling circulatory functions and in protecting against atherosclerotic pathologies in coronary arteries.

Aims

To investigate the presence of atherosclerotic differences in the coronary arteries of cholesterol-fed rabbits by measuring the density of cardiac ganglia neurons.

Study Design

Animal experiment.

Methods

This study was conducted using 45 male rabbits. Over a period of 16 weeks, they were kept on an atherogenic diet of water ad libitum and high fat (8.6%) containing saturated fatty acids with 205 mg/kg of cholesterol (1%) per day. Then, their hearts were removed and examined by histopathological methods. Atherosclerotic plaques of the main coronary arteries were examined using the Cavalieri method. Atherosclerosis index values (AIVs) were estimated as the wall surface area/plaque surface area, and the results were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results

While the average atherosclerosis index value was estimated to be ≤8% in 21 animals, the atherosclerosis index value was 9-20% in animals with minor plaque detection (n=11) and ≥20% in animals with major plaque detection (n=10). Increased atherosclerosis index values were more common in animals with low neuron densities than in animals with high neuron densities (p<0.017).

Conclusion

The low neuron density of the cardiac ganglia in cholesterol-fed rabbits is associated with an increased atherosclerotic plaque incidence and volume.