FIGURE 1.

Sensory innervation of the heart. We focused on cardiac sensory nerves, but there are several other types of cardiac nerves and neurons (see in detail in the text of Section 2). Cardiac sensory fibres are coupled to both sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagus) nerves and can be separated from the autonomic nervous system. The capsaicin‐sensitive sensory nerve terminals are activated and sensitized by a variety of mediators produced by ischaemia, inflammation and tissue damage, and mediate sensory input pain and reflexes (classical afferent function). β1R, β₁‐adrenoceptor; DRG, dorsal root ganglion; PGs, prostaglandins; M₂R, M₂ receptor; TRPA1, transient receptor potential ankyrin 1; TRPV1, transient receptor potential vanilloid‐1