Distribution of connexin 43 in the human pineal gland

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Connexin 43 (Cx43) is one of the important gap junction proteins of astrocytes and is necessary for intercellular communication. To date, data on gap junctions in the human pineal gland are limited, and Cx43 has not been examined in this organ.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the distribution of gap junctions in the human pineal gland by simultaneous detection of Cx43 and the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).

METHODS: Fixed and paraffin-embedded samples of the human pineal gland (n=4) were used. The study participants were between 19 and 34 years old. For the simultaneous detection of Cx43 and GFAP in the human pineal gland, immunohistochemistry was used, followed by analysis using an LSM 800 confocal laser scanning microscope (Carl Zeiss, Germany).

RESULTS: For the first time, our immunohistochemical study showed the presence of Cx43 in the human pineal gland. The confocal microscopy with double immunolabeling of Cx43 and GFAP visualized the individual clusters of Cx43-containing structures that were undistinguishable under transmitted light microscopy and showed the localization of the Cx43 on the membrane of astrocytes.

CONCLUSION: The proposed method makes it possible to determine Cx43-positive structures in human pineal tissue, which are localized mostly in the area of astrocyte processes.

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About the authors

Dina A. Sufieva

Institute of Experimental Medicine

Author for correspondence.
Email: dinobrione@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0048-2981
SPIN-code: 3034-3137

Cand Sci (Biol.)

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Elena A. Fedorova

Institute of Experimental Medicine

Email: el-fedorova2014@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0190-885X
SPIN-code: 5414-4122

Cand. Sci. (Biol.)

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Vladislav S. Yakovlev

Institute of Experimental Medicine

Email: 1547053@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2136-6717
SPIN-code: 7524-9870
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Igor P. Grigor’ev

Institute of Experimental Medicine

Email: ipg-iem@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3535-7638
SPIN-code: 1306-4860

Cand Sci (Biol.)

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

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2. Fig. 1. Distribution of gap junctions in the human brain pineal gland. Immunohistochemical reaction to Cx43: a — a large number of Cx43-immunopositive structures in the area of blood vessels; b — scattered localization of gap junctions in trabeculae and in the parenchyma of the pineal gland. Bar — 20 microns; an asterisk indicates a blood vessel; arrows indicate Cx43-immunopositive structures.

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3. Fig. 2. Localization of gap junctions in human pineal astrocytes. Double immunohistochemical reaction for Cx43 (green fluorescence) and GFAP (red fluorescence). Confocal laser microscopy: a — localization of gap junctions in the bodies and processes of astrocytes, single optical section; b — enlarged fragment of Figure 2, a. K — calcification. Arrows indicate clusters of Cx43-immunopositive gap junctions.

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