Institute of Anatomy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Address:

A. Mickevičiaus g. 9, Kaunas LT-44307, Lietuva

Website:

http://lsmuni.lt/lt/struktura/medicinos-akademija/medicinos-fakultetas/anatomijos-institutas/

Head:

Prof. Dainius H. Pauža

Contacts:

Tel.: (+370 37) 327 313
dainius.pauza@lsmuni.lt

Morphological, histochemical and electron microscope studies of intrinsic cardiac nervous system in human and other experimental animals.

Scientists study the distribution, structural, electron microscope peculiarities and neurochemical phenotypes of intrinsic cardiac neural ganglionated plexus in human and animal models (dog, rat, guinea pig, pig, sheep, rabbit, etc.). Stereomicroscopes are employed for examination of topography of intrinsic cardiac neural plexus on pressure-distended total hearts stained histochemically for acetylcholinesterase. Sympathetic, parasympathetic and sensory neural components of intrinsic cardiac nerve plexus are investigated applying distinct methods for conventional light, fluorescent, confocal and transmission electron microscopy following immunohistochemistry for choline acetyltransferase, tyrosine hydroxylase, substance P, calcitonin gene related peptide and other neuropeptides. The qualitative and quantitative assessments of neural structures are performed using AxioVision (Zeiss, Germany), ZEN 2010 (Zeiss, Germany) and TIA (Fei, Netherlands) software. The main equipment of laboratories involves the stereomicroscopes Stemi (Zeiss, Germany), fluorescent microscopes Axio Imager Z1, M1 and M2 (Zeiss, Germany), confocal microscope Axio Observer LSM 700 (Zeiss, Germany), the transmission electron microscope Tecnai Spirit BioTWIN (Fei, Netherlands) and others.

Keywords: autonomic nervous system; nerves; ganglia; neurons; heart; intrinsic cardiac nervous system; animal models; human; morphology

Comtacts: Prof. Dainius H. Pauža PhD, phone: +370 37 327313; e-mail: dainius.pauza@lsmuni.lt