Explorations into development of autonomic neuromodulation system to treat refractory heart failure

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23220013
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biological material science
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Sunagawa Kenji 九州大学, 学内共同利用施設等, 研究員 (50163043)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KISHI Takuya 九州大学, 循環器病未来医療研究センター, 准教授 (70423514) ; HIROOKA Yoshitaka 九州大学, 循環器病未来医療研究センター, 准教授 (90284497) ; IDE Tomomi 九州大学, 医学研究院, 講師 (90380625)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 生体制御・治療 / 自律神経制御 / 循環制御 / 心不全

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been well established that the autonomic system plays a major role in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Previous studies indicated that heart failure increases with ageing. We hypothesized that the age related loss of baroreflex function predisposes subjects to volume intolerance and leads to heart failure. We demonstrated in animal studies that the lack of baroreflex function makes subjects extremely sensitive to volume overload and predisposes to pulmonary edema via the increases in stressed blood volume and rightward shift of the pressure-diuresis curve. The artificial bionic baroreflex system, which electrically stimulates the baroreceptor afferent nerve in response to changes in arterial pressure, perfectly restores normal baroreflex function, thereby volume tolerance. We conclude that the bionic baroreflex system may serve as a new tool in the management of refractory heart failure including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Free Research Field

循環器内科学