title: Future perspectives of a cardiac non-neuronal acetylcholine system targeting cardiovascular diseases as an adjunctive tool for metabolic intervention.
abstract: It has been several years since the function of the non-neuronal cholinergic system was independently reported in cardiomyocytes by several research groups. Although these findings initially seemed to be negligible and insignificant, extraordinary findings about cardiomyocytes were subsequently reported in studies involving the knockdown of the non-neuronal cholinergic system. These studies provide the evidence that this system may be indispensable for maintaining principal cardiac functions. Despite the absence of an appropriate and reliable technology to detect cellular ACh in real time in cardiomyocytes, studies of this system have progressed, albeit very slowly, to gradually consolidate the significance of this system. Based on the many significant findings regarding this system, these will be critical to develop adjunctive intervention therapy against cardiovascular diseases, including peripheral artery disease and heart failure. In this study, previous studies focusing on the non-neuronal cholinergic system are reviewed along with our studies, both indicating the biologically significant roles of the cardiac non-neuronal acetylcholine system from a clinical perspective.
authors.affiliation: Dep. of Physiology, Nippon Medical School Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan. Electronic address: k12417853@nms.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakinuma
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine
keywords: Angiogenesis; Cardiomyocytes; Energy metabolism; Ischemia resistance; Non-neuronal ACh