Advertisement

Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI114837

Myocardial localization and isoforms of neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in the developing and transplanted human heart.

L Gordon, J Wharton, S E Moore, F S Walsh, J G Moscoso, R Penketh, J Wallwork, K M Taylor, M H Yacoub, and J M Polak

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Gordon, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Wharton, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Moore, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Walsh, F. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Moscoso, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Penketh, R. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Wallwork, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Taylor, K. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Yacoub, M. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Histochemistry, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Find articles by Polak, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Published October 1, 1990 - More info

Published in Volume 86, Issue 4 on October 1, 1990
J Clin Invest. 1990;86(4):1293–1300. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI114837.
© 1990 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published October 1, 1990 - Version history
View PDF
Abstract

Neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) has been implicated in cellular interactions involved in cardiac morphogenesis and innervation. Immunohistochemical techniques and Western blot analysis were used to determine the localization and isoforms of N-CAM in the developing and extrinsically denervated human heart. Myocardial and conducting cells in the fetal heart (7-24 wk gestation) exhibited sarcolemmal immunoreactivity, the major desialo N-CAM isoforms being 150, 145, 120, 115, and 110 kD. N-CAM expression appeared to be downregulated in the myocardium during adult life, with relatively little sarcolemmal immunoreactivity being detected in normal donor tissues. In contrast to the temporal changes observed in the myocardium, both the developing and mature cardiac innervation displayed N-CAM immunofluorescence staining, localized to neuronal cell bodies, nerve fascicles and fibres. Extrinsically denervated cardiac allografts, obtained 2 d to 91 mo after transplantation, showed extensive sarcolemmal and intercalated disc immunostaining and expression of 125-, 120-, and 115-kD isoforms. Tissues from explanted recipient hearts and atrial appendage samples obtained during coronary bypass graft operations were also examined and displayed varying amounts of N-CAM immunoreactivity. We conclude that the expression of N-CAM immunoreactivity and isoforms in the human heart is developmentally regulated and may be modulated by factors such as cardiac innervation and myocardial hypertrophy.

Images.

Browse pages

Click on an image below to see the page. View PDF of the complete article

Version history
  • Version 1 (October 1, 1990): No description
Advertisement
Advertisement