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Expression of connexin-43 in the cardiac muscle of children diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome: a Western blot and confocal laser scanning microscopy study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2019

Fábio R. Lodi ,
Luiz F. Palma Open the ORCID record for Luiz F. Palma [Opens in a new window] ,
Nathalia C. de Victo ,
Luís G. Alonso  and
Luís O. C. de Moraes
Fábio R. Lodi
Affiliation:
Discipline of Descriptive and Topographic Anatomy, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Luiz F. Palma*
Affiliation:
Discipline of Descriptive and Topographic Anatomy, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Health School of Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas – FMU, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Nathalia C. de Victo
Affiliation:
Health School of Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas – FMU, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Luís G. Alonso
Affiliation:
Discipline of Descriptive and Topographic Anatomy, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Luís O. C. de Moraes
Affiliation:
Discipline of Descriptive and Topographic Anatomy, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: L. F. Palma, Discipline of Descriptive and Topographic Anatomy, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 740 – 04023-900 – São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Tel: +5511991008038; Fax: +551155717597; E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome consists of several structural abnormalities in the left side of the heart and may be associated with a hereditary genetic cause, possibly related to the connexin gene GJA1; however, only a few studies have investigated it. The present study aimed to analyse the expression of connexin-43 in the cardiac muscle of hypoplastic left heart syndrome children by Western blot method and confocal laser scanning microscopy. For that, tissue samples were taken during corrective surgery to treat heart defects. Patients of control group (8) presented any type of heart defect not related to hypoplastic left heart syndrome, connexin-43, or its gene and those of hypoplastic left heart syndrome group (9) presented this disease singly, without any other associated congenital diseases. By means of confocal laser scanning microscopy, it was noticed no connexin-43 qualitative differences in positioning and location pattern between both groups. From Western blot analysis, the connexin-43 expression did not show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0571) as well. Within the limits of this study, it is suggested that cardiomyocytes of hypoplastic left heart syndrome children are similar in connexin-43 location, distribution, and structural and conformational patterns to those of children with heart defects not related to this protein and its genes.

Keywords

Hypoplastic left heart syndromeconnexin-43Western blotconfocal laser scanning microscopy
Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , February 2020 , pp. 238 - 242
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019

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