The identification of specific serotonergic nuclei inhibited by cardiac vagal afferents during acute myocardial ischemia in the rat

Abstract

Cardio-cardiac autonomic reflexes mediated by the cardiac vagus during acute myocardial infarction play an important role in determining post-infarction hemodynamic function and the susceptibility of the infarcting heart to lethal arrythmias. In an earlier study we had demonstrated that serotonin-containing neurons in the brain participate in the mediation of these reflexes following left coronary artery ligation in the rat. In this study we identify specific brain serotonin nuclei involved. The accumulation of serotonin was measured in 19 brain nuclei from rats treated with pargyline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. The rats were subjected to either left coronary artery ligation or sham operation with or without bilateral cervical vagotomy or lidocaine applied topically only to the left ventricle. Serotonin accumulation was markedly reduced in the nucleus hypothalamicus posterior, nucleus raphe magnus and nuclei-raphe medianus-centralis superior in the rats subjected to coronary artery ligation as opposed to sham operation; no other brain regions were affected. The topical application of lidocaine to the left ventricle or vagotomy completely obviated the ligation-induced decrease in serotonin turnover. We conclude that there is an inhibition of serotonergic activity in the nucleus hypothalamicus posterior, nucleus raphe magnus and nuclei raphe medianus-centralis superior following left ventricular myocardial infarction in the rat. The afferent signal arises from receptors in the left ventricle and is conducted by the vagus.