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C-reactive protein, sodium azide, and endothelial connexin43 gap junctions

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Abstract

We investigated the effect of C-reactive protein (CRP) and sodium azide (NaN3) on endothelial Cx43 gap junctions. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) were treated with (a) detoxified CRP, (b) detoxified dialyzed CRP, (c) detoxified dialyzed CRP plus NaN3, (d) NaN3, or (e) dialyzed NaN3. The concentration of CRP in all preparations was fixed to 25 μg/ml and that of NaN3 in the preparations of (c) to (e) was equivalent to that contained in the 25 μg/ml CRP purchased commercially. The results showed that both the expression of Cx43 protein and gap junctional communication function post-48-h incubation were reduced and inhibited by the detoxified CRP, NaN3, or detoxified dialyzed CRP plus NaN3, but not by the detoxified dialyzed CRP or dialyzed NaN3. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of cells treated for 72 h also showed a pattern of transcriptional regulation essentially the same as that for the proteins. We concluded that CRP does not have a significant effect on Cx43 gap junctions of HAEC, but NaN3 inhibited the viability of cells and downregulate their junctions.

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Abbreviations

Cx43:

Connexin43

HAEC:

Human aortic endothelial cells

NaN3 :

Sodium azide

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Funding

Supported by grants NSC 94-2314-B-195-026 from the National Science Council, Taiwan and MMH-E-97003 from the Medical Research Department of the Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Medical Research, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Hsueh-Hsiao Wang, Hung-I Yeh, Cheng-Huang Su, Yih-Jer Wu, Yuen-Yi Tseng, Yi-Chun Lin & Cheng-Ho Tsai

  2. Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 92, Sec 2, Chung San North Road, Taipei, 104, Taiwan

    Hung-I Yeh, Cheng-Huang Su, Yih-Jer Wu & Cheng-Ho Tsai

  3. Mackay Junior College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Hung-I Yeh & Cheng-Ho Tsai

  4. Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Chi-Young Wang

  5. Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yih-Jer Wu

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  1. Hsueh-Hsiao Wang
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  2. Hung-I Yeh
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  8. Cheng-Ho Tsai
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Correspondence to Cheng-Ho Tsai.

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Wang, HH., Yeh, HI., Wang, CY. et al. C-reactive protein, sodium azide, and endothelial connexin43 gap junctions. Cell Biol Toxicol 26, 153–163 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10565-009-9125-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10565-009-9125-y

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