title: Correlation between atrial ZnT-1 expression and atrial fibrillation in humans: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Until recently, the membrane protein ZnT-1 was studied mainly in the context of zinc homeostasis. However, new findings indicate that it acts as an inhibitor of L-type calcium channels. We recently found that acute rapid pacing of the rat atria in vivo augments the expression of ZnT-1, while knockdown of ZnT-1 in culture can oppose the inhibition of L-type calcium channels following rapid pacing. This pilot study, the first to assess cardiac ZnT-1 in humans, was designed to look for possible correlation between the atrial expression of ZnT-1 and atrial fibrillation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Right atrial appendage tissue was collected from 39 patients (27 with sinus rhythm and 12 with atrial fibrillation; 6-permanent, 6- paroxysmal or persistent) undergoing open-heart surgery. The expression of ZnT-1 was analyzed by Western blot utilizing beta-actin as an internal loading control and a standard rat heart sample (STD) for inter-blot comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall atrial fibrillation patients (n = 12) had median ZnT-1/beta-actin of 1.80 STD (inter-quartile range 1.26 to 2.85) versus 0.73 STD (0.24 to 1.64) in the sinus rhythm group (P = 0.002). No association was found between ZnT-1 level and most other clinical parameters tested. Multivariate analysis determined that atrial fibrillation and increased body mass index were the only independent variables clearly associated with higher ZnT-1 levels (Standardized coefficients Beta = 0.62, 0.31; P = 0.002, P = 0.04, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study provides evidence for increased ZnT-1 expression in the atria of patients with atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Laboratory, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. tzion@bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: Yoram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Etzion
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganiel
authors.forename: Ofer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Beharier
authors.forename: Aryeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shalev
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Novack
authors.forename: Liobov
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Volvich
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abrahamov
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsa
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sahar
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; C498299:SLC30A1 protein, human