Role of the Mast Cell–Neuron Tandem in Cardiac Function Regulation in Cardiovascular Pathologies

Abstract

The review addresses new data on the involvement of mast cells (MCs) in the regulation of cardiac function during the development of some cardiovascular pathologies. Under normal conditions, the number of MCs in the heart is very small compared to their abundance in barrier tissues. They provide cardiac tissue homeostasis and the life-long interaction of the heart with the nervous and endocrine systems. Cardiac pathology is accompanied by the development of the inflammatory response, with MCs playing a significant role at all stages of this process. The number of MCs significantly increases as myocardial infarction, cardiac fibrosis and coronary atherosclerosis develop. Meanwhile, their pathogenic contribution to cardiovascular pathologies is ambiguous because, on the one hand, it is aimed at cardiac tissue adaptation to injury, while on the other hand, the avalanche-like synthesis and release of mediators from activated MCs exacerbates the clinical course of the process. As a result, MCs change their secretory profile, interfere in the realization of cardiac functions against the background of inflammation, but at the same time modulate the afferent information flow from the heart and efferent influences of the nervous system. The coordinated activity of the system loses its stability, leading as a rule to severe consequences for the whole organism. The current status quo analysis of the problem indicates that cardiac activity depends on the functional state of MCs and their complex interaction with the nervous system both under normal conditions and, especially, against the background of developing pathological processes.