目的    通过观察不同年龄兔脑血管缝隙连接蛋白（Cx37）的表达，探讨Cx37在调节脑血管舒缩活动方面的作用。 方法    应用逆转录-聚合酶链（RT-PCR）技术测定幼年、成年和老年兔脑基底动脉缝隙连接蛋白Cx 37mRNA的表达；应用Western blot法检测不同年龄兔脑基底动脉Cx37蛋白的表达。  结果    大白兔脑基底动脉血管组织中存在Cx37 的表达，并随年龄增加而增加，幼年兔表达较少，至成年兔达高峰，而老年兔逐渐减少；成年兔脑基底动脉Cx37 的表达较幼年兔明显增高，老年兔表达降低。结论    不同年龄兔脑基底动脉血管组织缝隙连接蛋白的表达随年龄的增加而增加，尤其以成年兔明显，提示缝隙连接蛋白在调节成年兔脑血管运动和舒缩活动方面具有重要的作用；而老年兔脑血管缝隙连接蛋白表达减少，可能与老年性脑血管硬化有关。

Objective　To investigate the effects of gap junctional proteins Cx37 on regulating the vasoconstriction and vasodilation of cerebral vessels. Methods　Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to examine the expression of Cx37 in cerebral basilar artery of rabbits at different ages, respectively.  Results    Cx37 mRNA expression in basilar artery was positive from young rabbit, and the expression reached a peak at adult stage of animals, and then descended again at the old stage. Cx37 protein expression in basilar artery of rabbits was stronger at adult stage than that of young and old stages.  Conclusions　The expression of cx37 in the basilar artery of rabbit increased gradually, until the adult stage of animal, which implicates that, Cx37 may play an important role in regulating the cerebral vasculomotor activity. However, the decreased expression level of the protein for older animals may relate to the development of cerebrovascular sclerosis.