Work

Intracardiac neuromodulation of pacemaker rate in the adult zebrafish heart in vitro

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In this study, we show that the intracardiac nervous system, a key integrative pathway for autonomic control of the heart, can modulate pacemaker rate in the absence of extracardiac innervation in the isolated adult zebrafish heart. Pharmacological blockade of muscarinic and β-adrenergic receptors reveals opposing inhibitory and excitatory influences on heart rate, and these effects are eliminated when intracardiac nicotinic synaptic transmission is disrupted with hexamethonium.

Source: American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology

DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00298.2025

Authors: Keegan P. D. O'Shea, Zachary D. Long, Frank M. Smith

Institution: Dalhousie University

Language: English

Topic: Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada