Published online before print April 27, 2001, doi: 10.1161/hh0901.089986
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© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.
Integrative Physiology |
Tissue-Specific Patterns of Gap Junctions in Adult Rat Atrial and Ventricular Cardiomyocytes In Vivo and In Vitro
Presented in part at the 71st Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, Dallas, Tex, November 8–11, 1998, and published in abstract form (Circulation. 1998;98[suppl I]:I-816).
From the Department of Experimental Cardiology, Max-Planck-Institute, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
Correspondence to Sawa Kostin, MD, Max-Planck-Institute, Benekestrasse 2, D-61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany. E-mail skostin{at}kerckhoff.mpg.de
Abstract—To
verify the hypothesis that tissue-specific patterns of gap junctions
(GJs) are determined by intrinsic factors within myocytes
forming different cardiac tissues, we have compared by quantitative
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) the structural features of GJs
in adult rat atrial myocytes (AMs) and ventricular myocytes
(VMs) in vivo with those in developing GJs in cultured AMs and VMs in
vitro. Quantitative TEM data revealed a 3-fold increase in the number
of developing GJs per intercalated disk in both AMs and VMs from 6 to
15 days in culture. However, at days 12 and 15, the percentage of GJ
length per intercalated disk and mean GJ length were 2-fold higher in
VMs than in AMs. Measurements of connexin43 GJs by confocal microscopy
confirmed TEM data and demonstrated respectively 2- and 4.5-fold
greater mean values of GJ length and area in VMs than in AMs. These
differences are attributable to the development of large GJs (>3 µm)
in VMs, closely resembling those observed in VMs in vivo. Although
large GJs in cultured VMs comprised 
14% of the total number of GJs,
their contribution to total GJ length and area constituted >60% and
85%, respectively. In marked contrast, the number of large GJs in AMs
both in vitro and in vivo was <1% from the total number of GJs. These
data confirm our hypothesis and provide the first evidence that
tissue-specific patterns of GJs in AMs and VMs are determined primarily
by intrinsic factors within cardiac myocytes and are developmentally
regulated.
Key Words: gap junction • ventricle • atrium • morphometry • development
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