The Gap-Junctional Protein Connexin40 Is Elevated in Patients Susceptible to Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Atrial myocardium susceptible to AF is distinguished from its nonsusceptible counterpart by elevated connexin40 expression. The heterogeneity of connexin distribution could give rise to different resistive properties and conduction velocities in spatially adjacent regions of tissue, which become enhanced and, hence, proarrhythmic the higher the overall level of connexin40.