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[The expression of connexin 43 and desmin in viral myocarditis]
1Department of Pathology, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310031, China.
Objective:
To study the cytobiological basis of constriction dysfunction and arrhythmia in cardiac muscle cells with viral myocarditis.
Methods:
The expression of connexin 43 and desmin in cardiac muscle cells of mice with experimental viral myocarditis was determined by immunohistochemistry.
Results:
In normal mice, connexin 43 and desmin are located in the intercalated disks of cardiac muscle, and the latter also revealed a positive immunoreactivity in the cross striations of sarcomeres. In viral myocarditis, the expression of both became much weakened, can even become negative.
Conclusion:
In myocarditis, expression of connexin 43 and desmin in the involved cardiac muscle cells was inhibited, resulting in dysfunction of gap junctional communication and arrhythmia.