title: [Calpain-2 and calcineurin protein expression in right atrial appendages from patients underwent valve replacement with or without atrial fibrillation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between the protein expression of calpain-2 and calcineurin (CaN) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in patient with valvular heart disease (VHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 40 patients who underwent valve replacement surgery in our hospital from March 2013 to March 2014, right atrial appendages were excised during operation and patients were divided into sinus rhythm (SR) group (n = 17) and AF group (n = 23). The protein expression of calpain-2 and the α-isoform of CaN catalytic subunit (CnA) in the right atrial appendages were determined by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The protein levels of the full-length CnAa (60,000), the 45,000 fragment of CnAa without autoinhibitory domain, and calpain-2 were significantly upregulated in the AF group compared to the SR group (1.25 ± 0.51 vs. 0.76 ± 0.37, 1.08 ± 0.37 vs. 0.76 ± 0.25, and 0.82 ± 0.44 vs. 0.51 ± 0.19, respectively, all P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Activated calpain-2-CaN signal pathway might be involved in the pathogenesis of AF.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qing
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jianchun
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nannan
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lijuan
authors.forename: Sun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D020517:Atrial Appendage; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019703:Calcineurin; D002154:Calpain; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases; D006801:Humans; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D019703:Calcineurin; D002154:Calpain