Comparative Analysis of Right Atrium and Sinus Node Cell Diameter Across Diverse Populations: Insights into Cardiac Cellular Hypertrophy

Abstract

Cardiac cellular hypertrophy, a pivotal factor in cardiovascular health, manifests as an increase in cardiomyocyte size and can be influenced by various factors, including molecular signalling pathways that drive hypertrophic responses. This study delves into the cell diameter of the right atrium (RA) and sinus node (SN) cells across seven distinct population cohorts, encompassing Young Non-Obese Males and Females, Aged Non-Obese Males and Females, Aged Obese Males and Females, and Young Obese Males. Image J is an open-source software tool widely utilized in the field of biological research for image analysis and processing was employed in this study for precise cell diameter measurement. a total of 449 RA cells and 283 SN cells were measured. The findings consistently demonstrated that SN cells exhibited a smaller average diameter compared to RA cells across different population cohorts. To assess the viability of consolidating data across sexes, male and female data within cohorts were compared. This analysis detected no significant differences in SN and RA cell diameter between sexes, thus enabling robust comparisons across groups and confirming the suitability of merging data from both sexes within each cohort. After applying a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and consolidating the data, it became evident that the cell diameters of both the RA and SN in the aged and obese cohorts were statistically significantly higher than those observed in the young non obese group. Notably, the aging population consistently exhibited cellular hypertrophy in both SN and RA cells, irrespective of obesity. This finding underscores the standalone influence of aging as a significant factor contributing to cardiac cellular hypertrophy, highlighting its critical relevance in cardiac health assessment and management