JAHA: Tell us about the key findings from your recent article in JAHA.
Dr. Kakinuma: The non-neuronal cardiac cholinergic system producing
extremely more ACh by ventricular cardiomyocytes plays a beneficial role in
protecting cardiomyocytes against myocardial infarction. The key mechanism is
expected to render cardiomyocytes utilize more glucose and less oxygen.
JAHA: What are the major
implications of this work?
Dr. Kakinuma: Non-neuronal cardiac cholinergic system plays a role in decreasing
oxygen demand by cardiomyocytes and in accelerating angiogenesis.
JAHA: How did you get
the idea to do this study?
Dr. Kakinuma: From our previous study showing that cardiomyocytes
synthesize ACh of their own.
JAHA: What was your biggest obstacle in completing this study?
Dr. Kakinuma: The concept that cardiomyocytes synthesize ACh is not yet
well known and accepted by
others.
JAHA: What was your most
unexpected finding?
Dr. Kakinuma: This engineered heart, i.e., a ChAT overexpressing heart, is
resistant to no flow conditions in Langendorff apparatus and fairly easy to
restart the ventricular beating after reperfusion.
JAHA: What do you plan
to do next, based on these current findings?
Dr. Kakinuma: The cellular mechanisms of this non-neuronal cardiac
cholinergic system should be profoundly clarified.
Profile originally published March 5, 2013
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