| Objectives: To investigate the role of the signaling pathway mediated by Toll-likereceptor3(TLR3) in cardiomuocyte apoptosis and inflammatory response in sudden deathdue to viral myocarditis from the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis. Methods:40cases ofsuitable heart specimens from autopsy cases in Forensic Center of SUN Yat-senUniversity in2011～2012were collected. All cases signed informed consent. Accordingto the Dallas criteria,20cases were the clear diagnosis of viral myocarditis group (referredto as the the VMC group) which showed significant myocardial necrosis and (or)degeneration, interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, with or without interstitial fibrosisunder the microscope;20cases were the control group who were head injury deceased.The expression of TLR3, TRIF, NF-κB, casepase-3and apoptosis in myocardial tissueswere examined by the methods of immunohistochemistry with SP staining and terminaldeoxynucleotidyl transferase(TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)respectively. The differences between VMC and control group were analyzed. Results:Compared with the control group, the expression of TLR3, TRIF, NF-κB, casepase-3andthe apoptosis index of VMC group increased remarkably (P＜0.05). The positivecorrelations between TLR3and TRIF (r=0.551, P＜0.05), between TLR3and NF-κB(r=0.490, P＜0.05), between TRIF and NF-κB (r=0.674, P＜0.05), and between NF-κBand caspase-3(r=0.517, P＜0.05) were observed. The change of the apoptosis index wasin accordance with these of NF-κB and caspase-3. Conclusions: the signalingtransduction pathway mediated by TLR3may play an important role in cardiomuocyteapoptosis and inflammatory response in viral myocarditis. Caspase-3, as the downriver ofTLR3/TRIF/NF-κB signaling pathway, further proved the existence of the signaling pathway; TLR3signaling pathway could be used as the object of target-treatment to viralmyocarditis in clinic. |
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