New research from Karolinska Institutet and Columbia University shows that the heart has a mini-brain — its own nervous system that controls the heartbeat. A better understanding of this system, which is much more diverse and complex than previously thought, could lead to new treatments for related diseases. The study, conducted on zebrafish, is published in Nature Communications.
The heart has long been thought to be controlled solely by the autonomic nervous system, which transmits signals from the brain. It’s neural network, which is embedded in the superficial layers of its walls, has been considered a simple structure that relays the signals from the brain. However, recent research suggests that it has a more advanced function than that.
Controlling the heartbeat
Scientists have now discovered that the heart has its own complex nervous system that is crucial to controlling its rhythm.
“This ‘little brain’ has a key role in maintaining and controlling the beat, similar to how the brain regulates rhythmic functions such as locomotion and breathing,” explains Konstantinos Ampatzis, principal researcher and docent at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, who led the study.
The researchers identified several types of neurons in the heart that have different functions, including a small group of neurons with pacemaker properties. The finding challenges the current view on how its beat is controlled, which may have clinical implications.
Similar to human
“We were surprised to see how complex the nervous system within the heart is,” says Konstantinos Ampatzis. “Understanding this system better could lead to new insights into heart diseases and help develop new treatments for diseases such as arrhythmias.”
The study was conducted on zebrafish, an animal model that exhibits strong similarities to human rates and overall cardiac function. The researchers were able to map out the composition, organisation and function of neurons using a combination of methods such as single-cell RNA sequencing, anatomical studies, and electrophysiological techniques.
Why zebrafish?
One might think that the differences between these little fish and a human may seem to be a lot, but in some ways, these tiny fish and humans are surprisingly similar. Most importantly, zebrafish and humans share more than 70% of the same genes, making them perfect candidates for studying how various genes can affect the health of both fish and humans. Additionally, the tiny, transparent fish grow up quickly while the transparency lets researchers see internal changes more easily. These are just some of the reasons why scientists around the globe have been studying the zebrafish. In fact, the study of these little fish has led to some important insights about cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
New therapeutic targets
“We will now continue to investigate how the heart’s brain interacts with the actual brain to regulate heart functions under different conditions such as exercise, stress, or disease,” says Konstantinos Ampatzis. “We aim to identify new therapeutic targets by examining how disruptions in the it’s neuronal network contribute to different heart disorders.”
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This article was written at the Karolinska Institutet
