DIFFERENCES OF CONNEXIN43 EXPRESSION BETWEEN THE HUMAN HEART OF INFANT AND ADULT / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the differences of connexin 43(Cx43)expression between adult and infant heart. Methods By using immunohistochemistry to observe the expression of Cx43. Results 1.The expression of Cx43 had a punclate distribution in cytoplasm and over the entire surface of the cardiocyte,and a few located at intercalated disk of atrial and ventricular myocardium in the infant heart.2.Cx43 positive granules distributed irregularly in cell side surface and cytoplasm as well as intercalated disk in adult atrium.Cx43 immunolabelling of adult ventricular myocardium was typically confined to the site of intercalated disk.3.The results of image analyzer showed that the amount of connexin43 expression was lower in the atrium than that of the ventricle in infant heart and atrium bigger than ventricle in adult heart.The expression of Cx43 was less in adult heart than that of infant heart.Conclusion The expression of Cx43 was mainly over the entire surface of the myocardium in infant heart.There were expression differences of Cx43 in human ventricular and atrial myocytes.The amount of Cx43 expression was higher in ventricle than that of atrium in infant heart and atrium bigger than ventricle in adult heart.It was less in adult heart than that of infant.It showed that the expression of Cx43 in human heart existed a developmental differences.