Myocardial expression and distribution of calcineurin in normal and failing human ventricular myocardium / 中华心血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression and distribution of calcineurin (CaN) in normal and failing human myocardium.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Left and right ventricles were obtained from end-staged heart failure patients (n = 12) undergoing heart transplantation and donor hearts (n = 5) taken from victims of vehicle accidents. Immunohistochemistry and SDS-PAGE technique were used to demonstrate expression and distribution of CaN.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Positive immunoreactive staining for CaN was detected in human cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts and epicardial mesothelial cells, but not detected in cardiac vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. There was no difference in CaN protein levels between failing hearts and donor hearts (Band intensity of right ventricle in failing hearts and donor hearts was 130.20 +/- 8.66 and 139.87 +/- 6.21, P = 0.33. Band intensity of left ventricle in failing hearts and donor hearts was 106.45 and 126.34 +/- 12.09) and between left ventricular and right ventricular myocardium (Band intensity of left and right ventricles in failing hearts was 96.99 +/- 10.67 and 104.58 +/- 13.18, P = 0.63. Band intensity of left and right ventricles in failing hearts was 132.12 and 120.74).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CaN is expressed in human cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts and epicardial mesothelial cells and the protein level and distribution of CaN are similar in failing and donor hearts.</p>