Presence of Ganglia and Telocytes in Proximity to Myocardial Sleeve Tissue in the Porcine Pulmonary Veins Wall

Abstract

Ganglia and telocytes were identified inside the porcine pulmonary veins wall near myocardial sleeve tissue at the atriopulmonary junction. These structures are reported to play a role in the initiation of pulses from outside the heart, which potentially can cause cardiac conduction disorders such as atrial fibrillation. In-depth knowledge on the fine structure of the pulmonary vein wall is a pre-requisite to better understand the underlying pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation and the origin and conduction of ectopic pulses. The importance of pulmonary vein myocardial sleeves as triggering foci for atrial fibrillation has been shown in human patients. In this context, the fine structure of the pulmonary vein wall was investigated qualitatively by light and transmission electron microscopy in the pig, which is a frequently used animal model for development of new treatment strategies. Additionally, intra and extramural ganglia, containing telocytes that create a network near the neurone cell bodies, were identified in pigs. Detailed illustration of the distribution and organization of tissues and cell types, potentially involved in the origin and propagation of ectopic stimuli originating from the pulmonary veins, might lead to a better insight on the actual composition of the tissues affected by ablation as studied in pigs.

Ultrastructural characteristics and morphological relationships of cardiomyocytes and telocytes in the myocardium of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

“…TCs have been detected in many organs, especially the heart, by TEM, which is the 'gold standard' for identifying TCs (Rusu et al, 2017). TCs have also been observed in the porcine and equine pulmonary veins wall in close proximity to myocardial sleeve tissue (Vandecasteele et al, 2017(Vandecasteele et al, , 2018. Cardiac TCs have thin and long Tps with alternating podomers and podoms.…”

Morpho-functional changes of cardiac telocytes in isolated atrial amyloidosis in patients with atrial fibrillation

“…The main function of fibroblasts is the production of extracellular matrix components and control for the synthesis and degradation of its components. While TCs, having a branched network of Tps, apparently perform signaling functions and regulate the activity of all cellular components of the interstitium 1,2,9,13 . TCs differ from fibroblasts in the expression patterns of several genes 25,68,69 and when cultured in vitro TCs are characterized by a higher ability for adherence, spreading, and Tps extension than fibroblasts 70 .…”

Telocytes and Atrial Fibrillation: From Basic Research to Clinical Practice

“…В настоящее время получены результаты исследований, доказывающих как позитивное, так и негативное влияние телоцитов на возникновение различных заболеваний сердечно-сосудистой системы [18,[28][29][30][31][32]. В ряде работ по изучению функций телоцитов было отмечено, что уменьшение интерстициальных клеток может ухудшать передачу электрического импульса.…”

“…Еще одной гипотезой о роли телоцитов в развитии ФП стало исследование T. Vandecasteele и соавт., в котором было доказано, что интерстициальные клетки находятся не только в миокарде предсердий и желудочков, но также в стенке легочных вен и интрамуральных ганглиев [29]. Есть основания полагать, что эктопические импульсы, возникающие в муфтах легочных вен, могут быть взаимосвязаны с изменением функции телоцитов, а изменение числа интерстициальных клеток способствует инициации пароксизмов ФП.…”