Intrinsic cardiac neurons of the adult pigs: chemical types, abundance, parameters and distribution within ganglionated plexus.

Intracardiac neurons (ICNs) have a pivotal role in the regulation of heart rhythm and myocardial contractility. However, comparative data about the precise distribution of the chemically phenotypically distinct ICNs in the heart as well as their interrelations within intracardiac ganglia (ICG) are limited. In this study, we employed the whole-mount approach to characterise immunohistochemically the porcine atrial ICG.