Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Curr Opin Cardiol. 2011 Jan;26(1):51-4. doi: 10.1097/HCO.0b013e3283413961.
On the very solid background of experimental and clinical studies pointing to the cardiovascular risks associated with depressed vagal reflexes and supported by specific experiments in animal models of heart failure, we are witnessing a rapidly growing interest in the very untraditional approach to the management of heart failure represented by chronic vagal stimulation.
Additional studies have been performed using vagal stimulation in animal models of heart failure showing that benefit can occur even in the absence of heart rate changes. The first in-man studies of chronic vagal stimulation have been performed, first as a single center and then as a small multicenter study with favorable results in terms of feasibility, safety, and efficacy.
The initial observations with chronic vagal stimulation in man, though limited by very small numbers, are very encouraging and seem to open new paths, or perhaps avenues, for the management of symptomatic heart failure. This transition between experimental and clinical approaches represents an exciting example of translational research.
在大量指向与迷走反射降低相关的心血管风险的实验和临床研究的坚实基础上，以及心力衰竭动物模型的特定实验的支持下，我们正在见证一种对心力衰竭管理的非常非传统方法的快速增长的兴趣，这种方法代表了慢性迷走神经刺激。
在心力衰竭动物模型中进行了更多使用迷走神经刺激的研究，表明即使在心率没有变化的情况下也可能产生益处。已经进行了慢性迷走神经刺激的首次人体研究，首先是在一个中心进行，然后是在一个小型多中心研究中进行，在可行性、安全性和疗效方面取得了良好的结果。
虽然在人体中进行慢性迷走神经刺激的初步观察受到数量非常有限的限制，但非常令人鼓舞，似乎为治疗有症状的心力衰竭开辟了新的途径。这种从实验到临床的方法的转变代表了转化研究的一个令人兴奋的例子。
