芳香烃受体在心房颤动患者心房组织中的表达及意义

目的:检测芳香烃受体(AhR)在风湿性心脏病(风心病)心房颤动患者右心耳组织中的表达,探讨其在心房纤维化中的作用及意义。方法:取风心病换瓣手术患者的右心耳组织为实验组,其中风心病窦性心律组25例和风心病慢性房颤组11例;取先天性心脏病(先心病)心脏手术患者的右心耳组织12例作为对照组。采用Masson染色法检测右心耳组织胶原含量,采用免疫组化技术检测AhR、AhR核转位蛋白(ARNT)和CYP1A1蛋白的表达和分布,采用实时荧光定量PCR检测AhR、ARNT和CYP1A1的mRNA表达,采用Western blot检测AhR、ARNT和CYP1A1的蛋白表达。结果:与先心病组相比,风心病窦律组和风心病慢性房颤组胶原含量和AhR、ARNT、CYP1A1的表达明显增高;与风心病窦律组相比,风心病慢性房颤组胶原含量和AhR、ARNT、CYP1A1的表达明显增高(P0.05)。结论:风心病患者心房组织中AhR的表达与纤维化程度相关;AhR/ARNT/CYP1A1在风心病患者中表达增加,可能参与风心病心房纤维化的发生发展。

Expression and significance of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in atrial tissues of patients with atrial fibrillation

AIM: To investigate the expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in atrial tissues of the patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD), and the effects of AhR on rheumatic atrial fibrosis.METHODS: Right atrial specimens obtained from the patients with RHD requiring valve replacement surgery were divided into chronic atrial fibrillation (RHD+cAF, n=11) group and sinus rhythm (RHD+sinus rhythm, n=25) group. The patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and sinus rhythm (CHD+sinus rhythm, n=12) who underwent heart surgery served as controls. The collagen volume fraction in the atrial specimens was examined by Masson's trichrome staining. The protein expression and distribution of AhR, AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) and CYP1A1 were detected by the methods of immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The mRNA expression of AhR, ARNT and CYP1A1 was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.RESULTS: Compared with CHD+sinus rhythm group, the collagen content and the expression of AhR, ARNT and CYP1A1 were significantly increased in RHD+sinus rhythm group and RHD+cAF group. Compared with RHD+sinus rhythm group, the collagen content and the expression of AhR, ARNT and CYP1A1 were significantly increased in RHD+cAF group (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The expression of AhR is correlated with the degree of fibrosis. The expression of AhR/ARNT/CYP1A1 is increased in atrial tissues of patients with RHD, suggesting that AhR/ARNT/CYP1A1 should be involved in atrial fibrosis of the patient with RHD.