Atrial fibrosis and decreased connexin 43 in rat hearts after exposure to high-intensity infrasound

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020-06

Authors

António Oliveira de Carvalho (Author) FEUP; Ana Lousinha (Author) Other; Gonçalo Pereira (Author) Other; Gonçalo Borrecho (Author) Other; José Brito (Author) Other; Diamantino Freitas (Author) FEUP; Pedro Oliveira (Author) Other; Maria João R. Oliveira (Author) ICBAS; Eduardo Antunes (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Experimental and Molecular Pathology

Vol. 114

ISSN: 0014-4800

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 11 Citations

Scopus - 12 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Health sciences > Medical sciences > Medicine ; Physical sciences > Physics > Acoustics

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Other medical sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-TPR

DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2020.104409

Abstract (EN): Background: Noise is an important environmental risk factor. Industrial environments are rich in high-intensity infrasound (hi-IFS), which we have found to induce myocardial and coronary perivascular fibrosis in rats. The effects of exposure to IFS on the ventricles have been studied, but not on the atria. We hypothesized that rats exposed to hi-IFS develop atrial remodeling involving fibrosis and connexin 43, which we sought to evaluate. Material and methods: Seventy-two Wistar rats, half exposed to hi-IFS (120 dB, < 20 Hz) during a maximum period of 12 weeks and half age-matched controls, were studied. Atrial fibrosis was analyzed by Chromotropeaniline blue staining. The immunohistochemical evaluation of Cx43 was performed using the polyclonal antibody connexin-43 m diluted 1:1000 at 4 degrees C overnight. Digitized images were obtained with an optical microscope using 400 x magnifications. The measurements were performed using image J software. A two-way ANOVA model was used to compare the groups. Results: The mean values of the ratio "atrial fibrosis / cardiomyocytes" increased to a maximum of 0.1095 +/- 0,04 and 0.5408 +/- 0,01, and of the ratio "CX43 / cardiomyocytes" decreased to 0.0834 +/- 0,03 and 0.0966 +/- 0,03, respectively in IFS-exposed rats and controls. IFS-exposed rats exhibited a significantly higher ratio of fibrosis (p < .001) and lower ratio of Cx43 (p = .009). Conclusion: High-intensity infrasound exposure leads to an increase in atrial interstitial fibrosis and a decrease in connexin 43 in rat hearts. This finding reinforces the need for further experimental and clinical studies concerning the effects of exposure to infrasound.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6