Changes of aquaporin expression in the course of lung development in rats

AIM: To investigate the changes and significance of aquaporins (AQPs) in the course of lung development in rats.METHODS: The expreesions of AQP1, AQP3, AQP4 and AQP5 proteins in the membrane of pneumonocytes were localized by immunohistochemical method and the expressions of their mRNA were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively in the 20-day embryo rats, 7-day-old newborn rats, one-month-old young rats and three-month-old adult rats. The markers of lung development were analyzed in order to determine their relativity.RESULTS: With the increasing age, the lung development of the rats showed a dynamic and successive course. The lung development was the rapidest from the fetus rats to the newborn rats and then slowed down. All AQPs mRNA was weakly expressed in the lung of the embryo rats, but only AQP1 protein was observed. Lung AQPs gene and protein all increased rapidly after birth till to adulthood. AQPs expression was closely positive correlated with the lung development in rats (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: AQPs might take participate lots of important physiology process in the lung development in rats.