title: Histological study on the distribution of autonomic nerves in the human heart.
abstract: To investigate the distribution of autonomic nerves in the human heart, six autopsied hearts without cardiovascular disease were studied by a histochemical method for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and by an immunohistochemical method for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The density of nerve distribution was microscopically calculated by the point-counting method to evaluate regional distribution of the autonomic nerves. There were more AChE-positive nerves and TH-positive nerves in the atrium than in the ventricle, and more at the base than at the apex in the ventricle. There were more AChE-positive nerves in the subendocardial area than in the subepicardial area of the myocardium. In the atrium, AChE-positive nerves were more numerous than TH-positive nerves. On the other hand, there were more TH-positive nerves than AChE-positive nerves in the ventricle. Predominancy of the distribution density at the anterior to the posterior wall of the ventricle was observed for TH-positive nerves. The different distribution patterns of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves could modify cardiac performance under both physiologic and pathologic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medical and Dental Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki Univesity, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Ryozo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Katsusuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yano
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D017776:Autonomic Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000294:innervation; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase