title: Immunolocalization of the mNav2.3 Na+ channel in mouse heart: upregulation in myometrium during pregnancy.
abstract: mNav2.3 is a putative voltage-dependent sodium channel (NaC) gene expressed in both mouse heart and uterus that shares only 45% amino acid identity with NaCs from gene subfamily 1. Immunofluorescence studies using polyclonal antibodies against two distinct epitopes revealed that mNav2.3 protein in heart colocalized with nerve-specific antibody binding. Similar mNav2.3-specific antibody staining was observed in virgin uterus. However, mNav2.3 expression in uterine nerve disappeared during late pregnancy, concurrent with an appearance in both the longitudinal and circular uterine smooth muscle, which reached a maximum at term and quickly declined within 2 days postpartum. mNav2.3 expression in term uterus often colocalized on the myocyte surface with connexin 43. The immunofluorescence results are supported by Western analysis in which the 217-kDa NaC increased during late pregnancy and declined 2 days postpartum. These data provide perhaps the most dramatic example of NaC regulation. The acute and transient upregulation in myometrium during gestation suggests the Nav2.3 channel plays a role in uterine function at term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Knittle
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Tamkun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000378:metabolism; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D015335:Molecular Probes; D015222:Sodium Channels