不同发育阶段大鼠肺水通道蛋白表达的变化

Changes of aquaporin expression during lung development in rats

摘要:

目的：近年来研究发现组织发育与液体转运密切相关，水通道蛋白（AQPs）是一组与水主动转运有关的细胞膜转运蛋白，该文通过对AQPs在不同发育阶段大鼠肺脏表达变化的研究，探讨了AQPs在肺发育中的意义。方法：将Wistar大鼠分为4组：胎鼠组、新生鼠组、幼鼠组和成年鼠组，采用逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）和免疫组化（SABC）方法分别检测AQP1，AQP3，AQP4和AQP5 mRNA及其蛋白在肺细胞膜上的表达变化和分布；同时对肺发育相关指标进行对比分析。结果：大鼠肺发育连续不断，从胎鼠至新生鼠期增长最快，以后增速减慢，为一个动态的连续过程。肺AQPs mRNA在胎鼠时即有微量表达，出生后AQPs mRNA及蛋白含量迅速增加，呈增量表达至成年期；AQPs在肺组织的分布互不重迭，各有其独特的分布区域。AQPs变化与肺发育指标相关性分析显示它们间存在正相关（P<0.05）。结论： AQPs不仅涉及肺上皮的水转运，而且可能与肺组织发育有关。

Abstract:

ObjectiveMany studies have shown that tissue development is closely correlated with fluid transport. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a group of cell membrane proteins that actively and selectively transport water. This study aimed to investigate the changes of AQPs expression during lung development in rats in order to elucidate the role of AQPs in the rat lung development.MethodsAQP1, AQP3, AQP4 and AQP5 proteins and mRNA in the lung cell membrane were measured by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively in the 20-day-old embryo (E20), 7-day-old newborn rat, and one-month-old young and adult rats. The correlation between AQPs expression and lung development was studied.ResultsWith increasing age, the lung development showed a dynamic and successive course, with the most rapid from the fetus to the newborn rat, and then a slowed down afterwards. AQPs mRNA was weakly expressed in the lung of the E20 group. Lung AQPs mRNA and protein increased rapidly after birth until adulthood. The AQPs distribution patterns in the lung were unique with no duplication. There was a positive correlation between AQPs expression and lung development (P<0.05). ConclusionsIn addition to being involved in the transepithelial transport of water in the lung, AQPs is also related to its development.