Pacap and vip modulation of neuroexcitability in rat intracardiac neurons

• Main Author: DeHaven, Wayne I
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholar Commons 2005
• Subjects: Intracardiac ganglia; Pacap; Vip; Vpac2; Pac1; Calcium; American Studies; Arts and Humanities
• Online Access: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2852; http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3851&context=etd

Autonomic control of cardiac function depends on the coordinated activity generated by neurons within the intracardiac ganglia, and intrinsic feedback loops within the ganglia provide precise control of cardiac function. Both pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) are important regulators of cell-to-cell signaling within the intracardiac ganglia, and PACAP and VIP action on these ganglia, mediated through associated receptors, play an important role in the regulation of coronary blood flow, cardiac contraction, relaxation, and heart rate. Results reported here using PACAP and VIP provide direct evidence of some of the complex signaling which occurs in neurons of the rat intracardiac ganglia.