Dynamic changes in HCN2, HCN4, KCNE1, and KCNE2 expression in ventricular cells from acute myocardial infarction rat hearts.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate dynamic changes in the expression of HCN2, HCN4, as well as KCNE1, and KCNE2 mRNA and protein levels in ventricular cells from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rat hearts.


METHODS
An AMI model was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups: 24-hour (24h) post-AMI, 1-week (1w) post-AMI, 2-week (2w) post-AMI, and 4-week (4w) post-AMI; sham-operated control rat groups were established in parallel for each time point. HCN2, HCN4, KCNE1, and KCNE2 mRNA and protein levels were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively.


RESULTS
Ventricular arrhythmias occurred in all the post-AMI groups, particularly in the 1w and 2w post-AMI groups. Although HCN2, HCN4, KCNE1, and KCNE2 genes were expressed in the left ventricular myocardium of sham-operated control rats, their expression increased in rat ischemic left ventricular myocardium, with dynamic changes in expression observed 4 weeks after AMI. HCN2, HCN4, and KCNE2 protein levels were highest at 1w and KCNE2 protein levels peaked at 2w post-AMI.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of the HCN2, HCN4, as well as KCNE1, and KCNE2 genes in ventricular cells from AMI rat hearts underwent dynamic changes, reaching peak levels at 1 or 2weeks post-AMI. The increased expression maybe related to ventricular arrhythmogenesis after AMI.
Xia
Shuang
S
Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 76 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400010, China.
Wang
Yang
Y
Zhang
Yu
Y
Deng
Song-Bai
SB
Du
Jian-Lin
JL
Wang
Xi-Chun
XC
She
Qiang
Q
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism*; D064428:Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
C513836:HCN4 protein, rat; C578712:Hcn2 protein, rat; D064428:Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels; D007473:Ion Channels; C489621:KCNE2 protein, rat; C484268:Kcne1 protein, rat; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated