Long‐term spinal cord stimulation modifies canine intrinsic cardiac neuronal properties and ganglionic transmission during high‐frequency repetitive activation

Long‐term spinal cord stimulation ( SCS ) applied to cranial thoracic SC segments exerts antiarrhythmic and cardioprotective actions in the canine heart in situ. We hypothesized that remodeling of intrinsic cardiac neuronal and synaptic properties occur in canines subjected to long‐term SCS , specifically that synaptic efficacy may be preferentially facilitated at high presynaptic nerve stimulation frequencies. Animals subjected to continuous SCS for 5–8 weeks (long‐term SCS : n  = 17) or for 1 h (acute SCS : n  = 4) were compared with corresponding control animals (long‐term: n  = 15, acute: n  = 4). At termination, animals were anesthetized, the heart was excised and neurones from the right atrial ganglionated plexus were identified and studied in vitro using standard intracellular microelectrode technique. Main findings were as follows: (1) a significant reduction in whole cell membrane input resistance and acceleration of the course of AHP decay identified among phasic neurones from long‐term SCS compared with controls, (2) significantly more robust synaptic transmission to rundown in long‐term SCS during high‐frequency (10–40 Hz) presynaptic nerve stimulation while recording from either phasic or accommodating postsynaptic neurones; this was associated with significantly greater posttrain excitatory postsynaptic potential ( EPSP ) numbers in long‐term SCS than control, and (3) synaptic efficacy was significantly decreased by atropine in both groups. Such changes did not occur in acute SCS . In conclusion, modification of intrinsic cardiac neuronal properties and facilitation of synaptic transmission at high stimulation frequency in long‐term SCS could improve physiologically modulated vagal inputs to the heart.