Display options
Cite
Chow LT, Chow SS, Anderson RH, et al. Innervation of the human cardiac conduction system at birth. Br Heart J. 1993;69(5):430-5doi: 10.1136/hrt.69.5.430.
Chow, L. T., Chow, S. S., Anderson, R. H., & Gosling, J. A. (1993). Innervation of the human cardiac conduction system at birth. British heart journal, 69(5), 430-5. https://doi.org/10.1136/hrt.69.5.430
Chow, L T, et al. "Innervation of the human cardiac conduction system at birth." British heart journal vol. 69,5 (1993): 430-5. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/hrt.69.5.430
Chow LT, Chow SS, Anderson RH, Gosling JA. Innervation of the human cardiac conduction system at birth. Br Heart J. 1993 May;69(5):430-5. doi: 10.1136/hrt.69.5.430. PMID: 7686024; PMCID: PMC1025107.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on
Full text links
HighWire Free PMC Article

Br Heart J. 1993 May;69(5):430-5. doi: 10.1136/hrt.69.5.430.

Innervation of the human cardiac conduction system at birth.

British heart journal

L T Chow, S S Chow, R H Anderson, J A Gosling

Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong.

PMID: 7686024 PMCID: PMC1025107 DOI: 10.1136/hrt.69.5.430
Free PMC Article

Abstract

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.

Cited by

References

  1. Anat Rec. 1966 Jun;155(2):151-61 - PubMed
  2. Circulation. 1974 Nov;50(5):948-55 - PubMed
  3. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl. 1981;496:1-57 - PubMed
  4. Eur J Pharmacol. 1985 Feb 5;108(3):315-9 - PubMed
  5. Cell Tissue Res. 1985;241(1):93-102 - PubMed
  6. Neurosci Lett. 1985 Jun 12;57(2):125-30 - PubMed
  7. Acta Physiol Scand. 1985 Jul;124(3):361-9 - PubMed
  8. J Auton Nerv Syst. 1986 Aug;16(4):289-309 - PubMed
  9. Histochem J. 1986 Nov-Dec;18(11-12):625-38 - PubMed
  10. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 1987 Jun;19(6):555-68 - PubMed
  11. Am J Physiol. 1988 Aug;255(2 Pt 2):H311-7 - PubMed
  12. J Auton Nerv Syst. 1988 Sep;23(3):189-97 - PubMed
  13. Cell Tissue Res. 1988 Oct;254(1):155-66 - PubMed
  14. Anat Rec. 1990 Jan;226(1):71-80 - PubMed
  15. Circ Res. 1990 Apr;66(4):900-12 - PubMed
  16. Circ Res. 1990 Sep;67(3):713-21 - PubMed
  17. Circ Res. 1990 Dec;67(6):1323-33 - PubMed
  18. Circ Res. 1991 Jan;68(1):131-40 - PubMed
  19. Anat Rec. 1991 Aug;230(4):531-8 - PubMed
  20. Int J Cardiol. 1992 Apr;35(1):1-12 - PubMed
  21. Cell Tissue Res. 1992 Feb;267(2):291-300 - PubMed
  22. Brain Res. 1983 Nov 14;278(1-2):224-8 - PubMed
  23. Neurosci Lett. 1983 Dec 2;42(2):167-72 - PubMed

Substances

MeSH terms

Publication Types

LinkOut - more resources