Fig. 9
SNI surgery and optogenetic activation of PVA neurons reduce heart rates in mice. a Schematic of experimental design showing the timeline for telemetry probe implantation (D0), ECG recording before SNI surgery (basal at D7), and ECG recording 5 day after SNI surgery (D12) (upper panel). Heart rates of animals subjected to sham or SNI surgery at basal or 5 days after surgery (lower panel). SNI surgery lead to a reduced heart rate compared to sham group or its own basal level. *p < 0.05 vs. sham group at day 5, #p < 0.05 vs. SNI basal state. b Schematic of experimental design showing the timeline for telemetry probe implantation (D0), cannulation (D5), and ECG recording for 30 min before and during blue light stimulation (D7) (upper panel). These animals were infused with AAV-CaMKIIα-hChR2 (H134R)-eYFP vector in PVA for 6–8 weeks before telemetry implantation. Optogenetic stimulation of PVA neurons lead to a reduction in heart rate compared to that of the same animal without light stimulation (lower panel). *p < 0.05 vs. no light stimulation. Error bars indicate SEM. Statistical significance was determined between sham and SNI group by Student’s t-test (a) or intragroup by Paired t-test (a, b)
