Heterogeneous Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation and Decreased Myocardial Nerve Growth Factor in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats Implications for Cardiac Sympathetic Dysinnervation Complicating Diabetes

摘要

Heterogeneous myocardial sympathetic denervation complicating diabetes has been invoked as a factor con- tributing to sudden unexplained cardiac death. In sub- jects with diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN), distal left ventricular (LV) denervation contrasts with preser- vation of islands of proximal innervation, which exhibit impaired vascular responsiveness. The aims of this study were to determine whether this heterogeneous pattern of myocardial sympathetic denervation occurs in a rat model of diabetes and to explore a potential association with regional fluctuations in myocardial nerve growth factor (NGF) protein.