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Cerebral Aging: Implications for the Heart Autonomic Nervous System Regulation

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Heart Failure Management: The Neural Pathways

Abstract

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a key role in the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis. The main transmitters involved are acetylcholine (preganglionic neurons and parasympathetic terminals) and catecholamines (noradrenaline in sympathetic nerve terminals and adrenaline released from the adrenal glands). Interestingly enough the transmitters involved, their receptors, and post-receptor signaling undergo age-associated changes throughout the brain and the body. During senescence a shift of the cardiac ANS toward an increase in sympathetic activation has been observed. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is clinically pertinent because of the possible interconnection of age-dependent sympathetic nervous changes with cardiovascular disease development. This chapter specifically deals with the effects of aging on the molecular mechanisms implicated at central, ganglia, and synaptic (both pre- and postsynaptic) levels in the regulation of heart functioning. Since neurotrophins are involved in differentiation, synaptogenesis, and survival of ANS neurons, the consequences of age-related changes, specifically in NGF and BDNF expression, are also examined at cardiac level. Moreover, considering the importance of baroreceptor reflexes in the maintenance of the circulatory homeostasis, their alterations during senescence are also considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Alessia Pascale & Stefano Govoni

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  1. Alessia Pascale
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  2. Stefano Govoni
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Correspondence to Alessia Pascale .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Director of Cardiology Division, IRCCS MultiMedica, Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy

    Edoardo Gronda

  2. Heart Failure Clinic, IRCCS MultiMedica, Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy

    Emilio Vanoli

  3. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Alexandru Costea

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Pascale, A., Govoni, S. (2016). Cerebral Aging: Implications for the Heart Autonomic Nervous System Regulation. In: Gronda, E., Vanoli, E., Costea, A. (eds) Heart Failure Management: The Neural Pathways. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24993-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24993-3_9

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