Proteins have already been identified as a family members of plasma membrane calcium-permeable channels. TRPC proteins could be activated by various stimuli and act as cellular sensors in mammals. Stretch-activated ion channels (SACs) have already been proposed to underlie cardiac mechano-electric feedback (MEF), even though the molecular entity of SAC remains unknown. There is proof suggesting that transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1) is actually a stretch-activated ion channel. As a non-selective cation channel, TRPC1 may cause stretch-induced depolarization and arrhythmia and as a result may well contribute to the MEF in the heart. Within this study, we examined the expression 72040-64-3 MedChemExpress patterns of TRPC1 in detail at both the mRNA and protein levels in rat hearts. We isolated total RNA in the left and correct atria, along with the left and right ventricles, and detected TRPC1 mRNA in these tissues utilizing reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To study the protein localization and targeting, we performed immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence labeling with the antibody against TRPC1. TRPC1 was detected in the cardiomyocytes of your ventricle and atrium at both the mRNA and protein levels. The cell membrane and Ttubule showed strong fluorescence labeling within the ventricular myocytes. Purkinje cells, the endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells from the coronary arterioles also displayed TRPC1 labeling. No TRPC1 was detected in fibroblasts. In conclusion, TRPC1 is extensively expressed within the rat heart, which includes in functioning cells, Purkinje cells and vascular cells, suggesting that it plays an important role within the heart. The certain distribution pattern supplied a useful insight into its function in adult rat ventricular cells. Additional investigations are required to clarify the part of TRPC1 in regulating cardiac activity, such as cardiac MEF. Important words: TRPC1, Heart, Expression and distribution. Correspondence: Weizhen Niu, Division of physiology, Capital Health-related University, You An Guys Wai Street Xitoutiao 10, Beijing 100069, China Tel: +86.10.83911470. E-mail: [email protected] accepted on September 9, 2009 58-58-2 In Vitro European Journal of Histochemistry 2009; vol. 53 problem 4 (October-December): 217-he heart not just functions as a pump but also senses the variational strain on itself during the cardiac cycle. Suitable mechanical loading is essential for the improvement and maturation from the heart and to preserve regular function (Tobita and Keller, 2000). Nevertheless, overloading or mechanical stimulus causes cardiac hypertrophy and arrhythmias (Clemo et al., 1998; Sadoshima et al., 1992a; Schrickel et al., 2002). Quite a few studies have shown that a mechanical stretch or load applied to a cardiac tissue can induce important electrophysiological modifications by way of the process termed “mechano-electric feedback” (MEF). The underlying mechanisms linking such a mechanical influence to subsequent arrhythmias remain unknown. Mechanosensitive channels are proving germane to our understanding of cardiac MEF. The electrophysiological changes in the course of MEF have already been principally attributed towards the activity of stretch-activated ion channels (SACs) (Hu and Sachs, 1997), whose open probability was augmented with growing membrane tension. Two groups of SACs in the heart have already been reported: stretch-activated potassium channels (SAKCs) and stretch-activated non-selective cation channels (SACCs). Recent research suggest that the two-pore domain potassium channel TREK-1 might be the molecular entity of SAKCs inside the heart.