Parasympathetic nervous system act in a complementary way increasing or slowing the heart rate. In this context, the vagus nerve acts on sinoatrial node slowing its conduction thus actively modulating vagal tone accordingly. This modulation is mediated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and downstream changes to ionic currents and calcium of heart cells. The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in heart rate regulation by modulating the response of sinoatrial node, vagal tone can be quantified by investigating heart rate modulation induced by vagal tone changes. As a general consideration, increased vagal tone (and thus vagal action) is associated with a diminished and more
Lymph node stromal cell travel from the bone marrow or high endothelial venules of the thymus where they develop as lymphoblasts, to lymph nodes, where they mature. The primary role of lymph node stromal cells is structural. They form a scaffold for hematopoietic cells and assist their movement along it. The molecular signaling systems (chemokines) that distribute lymphocytes to appropriate localities within the lymph node (T and B cell segregation) are also created by lymph node stromal cells. Lymphocytes have receptors for such chemokines. For example, Naive T cells express the CCR7 receptor for the chemokine CCL21. and B cells exhibit CXCR5 receptors for