Surgery modifies cardiac sensory transduction

Abstract Objective We sought to determine whether cardiac surgery, specifically the placement of an incision within a ventricular wall, affects the capacity of regional cardiac sensory nerve terminals (neurites) to transduce the local cardiac milieu. Methods The capacity of sensory neurites in the right ventricular outflow tract associated with afferent neurons in nodose ganglia to transduce their mechanical and chemical milieu was studied in 11 anesthetized pigs before and after performing a local ventriculotomy. Results Right ventricular outflow tract sensory neurites associated with 23 nodose ganglion afferent neurons were identified that transduced local mechanical deformation along with substance P. The capacity of these sensory neurites to transduce these stimuli was almost totally obtunded after local ventriculotomy. Conclusions The capacity of afferent neurons to transduce the cardiac milieu can be modified by cardiac surgical interventions. This may have negative implications with respect to how the entire cardiac neuronal hierarchy transduces alterations in the cardiac milieu postsurgery. This fact should be taken into account when contemplating the placement of cardiac incisions during surgery.