Electroacupuncture suppresses premature ventricular complexes occurring post-myocardial infarction through corticothalamic circuit

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to suppress premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) following myocardial infarction (MI) in humans. However, the specific neural circuitry and causal mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. Here, we reveal a connection from the primary motor cortex to the nucleus rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) circuitry via the layer 5 of the primary motor cortex (M1L5)-zona incerta (ZI)-RVLM pathway, which suppresses PVCs in post-MI male mice. Utilizing viral tracing, fiber photometry recordings, and optogenetic stimulation, we demonstrate that EA treatment normalizes the abnormal hyperexcitability of glutamatergic neurons in the M1L5 region after MI, thereby reducing the occurrence of post-MI PVCs in mice via the M1L5-ZI-RVLM neural circuit. Overall, our findings highlight the M1L5-ZI-RVLM circuit as a crucial mediator of EA-induced suppression of PVCs following MI. Additionally, this corticothalamic circuit may represent a promising target for mitigating PVCs post-MI.