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Vagal nerve modulation: A promising new therapeutic approach for cardiovascular diseases
Author(s) -
Zhao Mei,
Sun Lei,
Liu JinJun,
Wang Hao,
Miao Yi,
Zang WeiJin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2011.05644.x
Subject(s) - modulation (music) , medicine , neuroscience , pharmacology , biology , physics , acoustics
Summary 1. The physiological activities of the mammalian heart are regulated by the autonomic nervous system. An imbalanced autonomic nervous system with increased sympathetic tone and reduced vagal tone has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases. 2. Experimental and clinical reports have demonstrated that vagal nerve activation is able to improve outcomes for multiple cardiovascular diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia and hypertension. 3. In this paper, we mainly focus on the potential cardioprotective mechanisms of vagal nerve activation. Based on the knowledge gained from our experiments and other published reports, vagal activation results in cardioprotection is not only associated with heart rate, anti‐adrenergic effect but also related to anti‐inflammatory activity, regulation of cellular redox states and regulation of mitochondrial targets. 4. In conclusion, vagal nerve activation may be a promising new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.