ScienceAsia 29 (2003): 319-325 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2003.29.319

Localization of Parvalbumin Calcium Binding Protein in the Rat Heart

Uraporn Vongvatcharanon^a,* and Surapong Vongvatcharanon^b

ABSTRACT: Parvalbumin is a Ca²⁺ binding protein that functions as a relaxing factor in fast skeletal muscle fibers by acting as a delayed Ca²⁺ sink. As the cardiac contraction/relaxation cycle has to be constant and continuous, a precise rise and fall of intracellular calcium ions is required. Thus, cardiac muscles should contain certain Ca²⁺ binding proteins to buffer Ca²⁺ as in skeletal muscle fibers. Using immunohistochemistry techniques, we demonstrate that parvalbumin is found in atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes, and is also located in the sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes. The role of parvalbumin in cardiomyocytes may be related to the process of cardiomyocyte relaxation by facilitating Ca²⁺ transport from the myofibrils into the SR, similar to what occurs in skeletal muscles. In addition, parvalbumin may act to buffer Ca²⁺ concentrations in the SA and AV nodes.

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a Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand.
b Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Anesthesiology section), Faculty of Dentistry, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand.

* Corresponding author, Email: vuraporn@ratree.psu.ac.th

Received 12 Sep 2002, Accepted 20 May 2003