First Author | Moghtadaei M | Year | 2017 |
Journal | Sci Rep | Volume | 7 |
Issue | 1 | Pages | 17564 |
PubMed ID | 29242602 | Mgi Jnum | J:286937 |
Mgi Id | MGI:6407594 | Doi | 10.1038/s41598-017-17690-7 |
Citation | Moghtadaei M, et al. (2017) Altered heart rate regulation by the autonomic nervous system in mice lacking natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPR-C). Sci Rep 7(1):17564 |
abstractText | Natriuretic peptides (NPs) play essential roles in the regulation of cardiovascular function. NP effects are mediated by receptors known as NPR-A, NPR-B or NPR-C. NPs have potent effects on regulation of heart rate (HR) by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), but the role of NPR-C in these effects has not been investigated. Accordingly, we have used telemetric ECG recordings in awake, freely moving wildtype and NPR-C knockout (NPR-C(-/-)) mice and performed heart rate variability (HRV) analysis to assess alterations in sympatho-vagal balance on the heart following loss of NPR-C. Our novel data demonstrate that NPR-C(-/-) mice are characterized by elevations in HR, reductions in circadian changes in HR and enhanced occurrence of sinus pauses, indicating increased arrhythmogenesis and a loss of HRV. Time domain and frequency domain analyses further demonstrate that HRV is reduced in NPR-C(-/-) mice in association with a reduction in parasympathetic activity. Importantly, the low frequency to high frequency ratio was increased in NPR-C(-/-) mice indicating that sympathetic activity is also enhanced. These changes in autonomic regulation were confirmed using atropine and propranolol to antagonize the ANS. These findings illustrate that loss of NPR-C reduces HRV due to perturbations in the regulation of the heart by the ANS. |