Innervation of pulmonary trunk in mice

The innervation of pulmonary trunk and main pulmonary arteries appears to play an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). Recently, it has been shown in First-in-Man studies, that denervation proximal to the bifurcation causes normalization of pulmonary artery pressure in patients not responding to classical therapy (Chen et al., J Am Coll Cardiol, 2013; 62(12):1092 – 1100). In rats, pulmonary trunk remodeling induced by hypobaric hypoxia is suppressed in sympathectomized animals (McKenzie JC, Klein RM. J Auton Nerv Syst. 10(2):199 – 203, 1984). The mechanisms underlying this e…