title: Using skin sympathetic nerve activity to estimate stellate ganglion nerve activity in dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stellate ganglion nerve activity (SGNA) is important in cardiac arrhythmogenesis. However, direct recording of SGNA requires access to the thoracic cavity. Skin of upper thorax is innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers originating from the stellate ganglia and is easily accessible.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that thoracic skin nerve activity (SKNA) can be used to estimate SGNA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recorded SGNA and SKNAs using surface electrocardiogram leads in 5 anesthetized and 4 ambulatory dogs. Apamin injected into the right stellate ganglion abruptly increased both right SGNA and SKNA in 5 anesthetized dogs. We integrated nerve activities and averaged heart rate in each 1-minure window over 10 minutes. We implanted a radiotransmitter to record left SGNA in 4 ambulatory dogs (2 normal, 1 with myocardial infarction, 1 with intermittent rapid atrial pacing). After 2 weeks of recovery, we simultaneously recorded the SKNA and left SGNA continuously for 30 minutes when the dogs were ambulatory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a positive correlation [average r = 0.877, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.732-1.000, P <.05 for each dog] between integrated skin nerve activity (iSKNA) and SGNA (iSGNA) and between iSKNA and heart rate (average r = 0.837, 95% CI 0.752-0.923, P <.05). Similar to that found in the anesthetized dogs, there was a positive correlation (average r = 0.746, 95% CI 0.527-0.964, P <.05) between iSKNA and iSGNA and between iSKNA and heart rate (average r = 0.706, 95% CI 0.484-0.927, P <.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SKNAs can be used to estimate SGNA in dogs.
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Zhaolei
authors: Z
authors: Jiang
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Cardiac Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Ye
authors: Y
authors: Zhao
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors: Anisiia
authors: A
authors: Doytchinova
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors: Nicholas J
authors: NJ
authors: Kamp
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University.
authors: Wei-Chung
authors: WC
authors: Tsai
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Yuan
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Adams
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Wagner
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine and the Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors: Changyu
authors: C
authors: Shen
authors: Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana,. Electronic address: chenpp@iu.edu.
authors: Lan S
authors: LS
authors: Chen
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors: Thomas H
authors: TH
authors: Everett
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University.
authors: Shien-Fong
authors: SF
authors: Lin
authors: Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors: Peng-Sheng
authors: PS
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001030:Apamin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004285:Dogs; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013909:Thorax / Q000294:innervation
chemical_list: D001030:Apamin
keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Cardiac arrhythmia; Stellate ganglion; Sympathetic nerve