Moderate aerobic exercise can remodel the nerve nodes of the heart, and these changes differ fundamentally between the right and left sides. That is the conclusion of an international team of researchers, infohub.kz reports.
The work was led by specialists from the University of Bristol, with scientists from University College London, the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of São Paulo taking part. The results were published in the scientific journal Autonomic Neuroscience. According to the findings, physical exercise affects the autonomic nervous system more deeply than previously thought.
The focus was on the stellate ganglia — paired clusters of nerve cells located in the lower neck and upper third of the chest that regulate heart rhythm. In an experiment on rats that completed a ten-week course of moderate aerobic training, the researchers used three-dimensional stereological analysis.
Exercise was found to cause pronounced asymmetry: in the right ganglion the number of neurons increased and came to roughly four times that in the left, while the cells themselves shrank slightly. At the same time, neurons in the left ganglion nearly doubled in volume.
Lead author Dr Augusto Coppi stressed that these nerve nodes act as a kind of regulator of heart function, and that exercise reshapes the control system asymmetrically. According to him, the discovery will help cardiologists choose more precise treatments for arrhythmia, angina and "broken heart" syndrome.
In the future, understanding the differences between the right and left sides will make it possible to fine-tune clinical procedures such as ganglion blockade or denervation more effectively. The team's next steps include trials involving large animals and clinical tests in humans.