Immunohistochemical staining consistently showed reduced membrane localization of Cx43 as indicted by the diminished density of fluorescence signals at intercalated discs of HF hearts of both mice (Fig. 5a) and humans (Fig. 5b) or in the mouse hearts pretreated with Lv-siCCRR, and conversely increased expression of Cx43 when pretreated with Lv-CCRR (Fig. 5a). Here, GJA1 is linked to hydrops fetalis.