Eur J Anat, 6 (3): 161-165 (2002)

Localization of the apoptosis repressor ARC and anti-apoptotic factor FLIP in endomyocardial biopsies of cardiomyopathy patients

Ott D., Aschoff A.P., Jirikowski G.F., Lotze U.

Institut fur Anatomie II, Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena, Teichgraben 7, D-07743 Jena, Germany; Klinik fur Innere Medizin III, Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany

ABSTRACT Endomyocardial biopsies from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy were obtained by cardiac catheterization. Tissue samples were embedded in epoxy resin and sectioned into serial semithin sections for immunohistochemical visualization of either the apoptosis repressor protein or the FLICE inhibitory protein. Colocalization of apoptosis repressor protein and FLICE inhibitory protein was observed in cardiac myocytes, with nuclear DNA fragmentation and myofibrillary degradation. Intact myocytes were devoid of FLICE inhibitory protein and apoptosis repressor protein staining. FLICE (Fas-associated death-domain-like IL-1-converting enzyme) inhibitory protein and apoptosis repressor protein were localized in the perinuclear cytoplasm, mainly in areas that showed myofibrillary degradation as visualized by fluorescence microscopy. FLICE inhibitory and apoptosis repressor proteins may be intracellular markers for monitoring myocardial damage in several cardiac diseases in humans.

Keywords: ARC protein, caspase 8, DNA, FLICE inhibitory protein, repressor protein, unclassified drug, apoptosis, article, cardiomyopathy, enzyme localization, heart muscle biopsy, heart muscle contractility, human, human tissue, immunohistochemistry, protein analysis, protein expression