The interplay between the central nervous system and cardiac electrophysiology is fundamental, and becomes obvious each time one's pulse quickens in response to stress. Normally, cardiac neurohormonal regulation is accomplished through the balanced effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic stimulation, along with the hormonal regulation of the renin-angiotensinaldosterone system (RAAS). Autonomic and hormonal input modulate multiple facets of cellular electrophysiology -action potential duration, ion channel kinetics and intracellular calcium dynamics (just to name a few) -which translate into macroscopic manifestations of autonomic modulation such as heart rate variability, atrioventricular (AV) conduction time and QT interval variability.1 Therefore, it is no surprise that neurohormonal regulation of cardiac electrophysiology is an area of active investigation for its potential antiarrhythmic effects. Recent reviews have focused on the efficacy of neurohormonal modulation, via non-pharmacological methods, to enhance heart failure treatment. 2,3 This review will attempt to provide a state-of-the-art on the potential antiarrhythmic efficacy of renal artery denervation, spinal cord stimulation and direct vagal stimulation.
Neurohormonal Control in the Normal and Failing HeartAutonomic control of cardiac physiology is often conceptualised as parasympathetic (cholinergic) and sympathetic (adrenergic) innervation existing in a 'yin and yang' balance under normal circumstances; however, this concept may be over-simplified. 4 In reality, the intrinsic cardiac nervous system, composed of several ganglia located primarily posterior to the atria, likely acts as a 'little brain' of the heart -it provides efferent input to the myocardium, collects afferent signals on a beat-to-beat basis and performs some integrative functions on its own, all under the tonic modulation of extrinsic sympathetic and parasympathetic input (see Figure 1).
4-8The ganglia are predominantly composed of cholinergic neurons; however, sympathetic efferent neurons are also present. Due to the complex interconnectivity between the ganglia, afferent mechanosensory, nociceptive and chemosensory signals from all four chambers of the heart may be processed within a single ganglion. 4 Such interconnectivity implies that predicting the effect of stimulation or ablation of a particular ganglion may be difficult, because each ganglion performs multiple functions.
7,9Abstract Alterations in resting autonomic tone can be pathogenic in many cardiovascular disease states, such as heart failure and hypertension.Indeed, autonomic modulation by way of beta-blockade is a standard treatment of these conditions. There is a significant interest in developing non-pharmacological methods of autonomic modulation as well. For instance, clinical trials of vagal stimulation and spinal cord stimulation in the treatment of heart failure are currently underway, and renal denervation has been studied recently in the treatment of resistant hypertension. Notably, autonom...