Innervation of atrial stumps in calves living with the TNS-Brno II artificial heart.
The remnant stumps of the atria in six calves surviving with the artificial TNS-Brno II methacrylate heart for up to 5 months were examined by means of the Bodian silver-impregnating technique and by the formalin-induced fluorescence technique visualizing noradrenaline in monoaminergic nerve terminals. The degeneration of the nerve terminal system detected in animals surviving for 2 days and 1 week was followed by regeneration of the vegetative nerve system in four animals surviving for greater than 1 month. Moreover, thick myelinated nerves afferent in character were detected within the atrium of one animal surviving for 5 months.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000294:innervation*; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009416:Nerve Regeneration