New research from Karolinska Institutet and Columbia University shows that
the heart has a mini-brain – its own nervous system that controls the
heartbeat. A better understanding of this system, which is much more diverse
and complex than previously thought, could lead to new treatments for heart
diseases. The study, conducted on zebrafish, is published in Nature
Communications.
The heart has long been thought to be controlled solely by the autonomic nervous system, which transmits signals from the brain. The heart’s neural network, which is embedded in the superficial layers of the heart wall, has been considered a simple structure that relays the signals from the brain. However, recent research suggests that it has a more advanced function than that.
Controlling the heartbeat
Scientists have now discovered that the heart has its own complex nervous
system that is crucial to controlling its rhythm.
“This ‘little
brain’ has a key role in maintaining and controlling the heartbeat, similar to
how the brain regulates rhythmic functions such as locomotion and breathing,”
explains Konstantinos Ampatzis, principal
researcher and docent at the Department of
Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, who led the study.
The researchers identified several types of neurons in the heart that have different functions, including a small group of neurons with pacemaker properties. The finding challenges the current view on how the heartbeat is controlled, which may have clinical implications.
Similar to the human heart
“We were surprised to see how complex the nervous system within the heart
is,” says Konstantinos Ampatzis. “Understanding this system better could lead
to new insights into heart diseases and help develop new treatments for
diseases such as arrhythmias.”
The study was conducted on zebrafish, an animal model that exhibits strong similarities to human heart rate and overall cardiac function. The researchers were able to map out the composition, organisation and function of neurons within the heart using a combination of methods such as single-cell RNA sequencing, anatomical studies and electrophysiological techniques.
New therapeutic targets
“We will now continue to investigate how the heart’s brain interacts with
the actual brain to regulate heart functions under different conditions such as
exercise, stress, or disease,” says Konstantinos Ampatzis. “We aim to identify
new therapeutic targets by examining how disruptions in the heart’s neuronal
network contribute to different heart disorders.”
The study was done in close collaboration with researchers at Columbia
University, USA, and was funded by, among others, the Dr. Margaretha Nilsson
Foundation, Erik and Edith Fernström Foundation, StratNeuro and Karolinska
Institutet. There are no reported conflicts of interest.
Source: https://news.ki.se/the-heart-has-its-own-brain
Journal article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54830-w
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