Chronic Hypoxia down-Regulates Tight Junction Protein ZO-2 Expression in Children with Cyanotic Congenital Heart Defect

Abstract

Hypoxia down-regulates ZO-2 expression in both cyanotic patient's myocardium and cultured rat cardiomyocytes. This down-regulation suggest an involvement of ZO-2 in cardiac remodelling of AJs in cyanotic children and may explain the greater susceptibility of cyanotic patients to corrective heart surgery.