The cardiac sympathetic co-transmitter galanin reduces acetylcholine release and vagal bradycardia: Implications for neural control of cardiac excitability

► Galanin is found in guinea pig stellate neurons and GalR1 on cardiac vagal neurons. ► Stellate galanin expression increases following 3 days of cell culture. ► High level sympathetic stimulation releases galanin which reduces vagal bradycardia. ► Galanin reduces acetylcholine release and bradycardia via a GalR1 dependent pathway. ► Galanin signals via protein kinase C rather than protein kinase A dependent pathways.