Transduction capabilities of neonatal ventricular afferent neurons in vivo

We sought to determine the capacity of ventricular sensory nerve endings (neurites) associated with neonatal nodose ganglion afferent neurons to transduce mechanical and chemical stimuli in situ. Spontaneous activity generated by 17 nodose ganglion cardiac afferent neurons was identified in 8 anesthetized neonatal pigs (10–21 days old) using extracellular recording techniques. The activity generated by afferent neurons was studied when their ventricular sensory neurites were exposed to local mechanical or chemical stimuli, following systemic administration of specific chemicals or during brief periods of apnea. Gentle mechanical distortion of their ventricular sensory fields enhanced the activity generated by 6 spontaneously active afferent neurons, while suppressing the activity generated by another 3 neurons. Afferent neuronal activity was either enhanced or suppressed when the following chemicals were applied to identified ventricular epicardial sensory fields: the sodium channel modifier veratridine (92% of tested neurons); the P1-purinoceptor agonist adenosine (92%); the neuropeptides angiotensin II (100%), bradykinin (90%) and substance P (90%); and the nitric oxide donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (100%). Epicardial application of isoproterenol or nicotine induced modest neuronal responses. Cardiac afferent neurons were also affected when these chemicals were administered systemically. Apnea of 60–100 s duration modified (enhanced, n=2; suppressed, n=5) the activity generated by most identified afferent neurons. The estimated average conduction velocity of afferent axons associated with these neurons was 1.0±0.2 m/s. It is concluded that neonatal nodose ganglion cardiac afferent neurons respond to many of the chemicals known to modify adult cardiac afferent neurons. That cardiac afferent neurons are capable of sensing the mechanical and chemical milieu of the neonatal heart should be taken into account when considering altered neonatal cardiovascular status such as occurs during apnea.