Heart rate exhibits diurnal variation with slower rhythms during sleep. While neural factors were assumed responsible, this study tested whether intrinsic pacemaking contributes. The day-night difference in the average heart rate of mice was …
BACKGROUND. Heart rate follows a diurnal variation, and slow heart rhythms occur primarily at night. OBJECTIVE. The lower heart rate during sleep is assumed to be neural in origin, but here we tested whether a day-night difference in intrinsic …