Roles of tumor necrosis factor-α in regulation of Connexin43 and ventricular arrhythmias in rats with heart failure
XIA Jiading
YANG Hua
LIU Xuegang
CHEN Zhijian
Abstract：This study was designed to investigate the effect of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) on expression and distribution of Connexin43 (Cx43) and ventricular arrhythmias in rats with heart failure.In this study,thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=12 in each group):Heart failure group (F group),Drug group (D group) and Sham group (S group).The rat heart failure model was constructed by abdominal aorta ligation,and rhTNFR:FC was given from 2nd week to 16~ week after ligation in D group.Programmed electrical stimulation was imposed on the hearts of the three groups to induce ventricular arrhythmia.The expression levels of TNF-α and total Cx43 (T-Cx43),phosphorylation CX43 (P-Cx43),and non-phosphorylation Cx43 (NP-Cx43) were detected by Western blot assay;the distribution of T-Cx43 was observed by laser scanning confocal microscope.Data showed that the protein expression level of TNF-α was higher (P＜0.05),and the expression levels of T-Cx43 and P-Cx43 were lessened (P＜0.05),the expression level of NP-Cx43 and the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia were increased (P＜0.05),and the distribution of T-Cx43 was disordered in F group,as compared S group.In addition,compared with F group,D group demonstrated lower protein expression level of TNF-α (P＜0.05),higher expression of T-Cx43 and P-Cx43,decreased level of NP-Cx43 (P＜0.05),reversed distribution of T-Cx43,and decreased incidence of ventricular arrhythmia (P＜ 0.05).In conclusion,TNF-α over expressed in myocardial tissue can induce Cx43 reconfiguration,and play an important role in ventricular arrhythmia of rats with heart failure.
Keywords：Heart failureTumor necrosis factor-αConenxin43Ventricular arrhythmia
Publication Date：2017-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 861-866 )