Expression and its role of aquaporin in the middle ear of the guinea pigs / 中国耳鼻咽喉头颈外科

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE To explore the expression pattern of AQP1,AQP4,AQP5 in the normal middle ear in guinea pigs and its roles in the water homeostasis in the middle ear cavity.METHODS Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT- PCR),Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect AQP1,AQP4,AQP5 in mucosa of the bullae of normal guinea pigs.RESULTS Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analyses revealed that mRNAs encoding AQP1,AQP4,AQP5 were expressed in middle ear membrane of the guinea pigs.AQP1,AQP4 was also detected as 28-kDa,33-kDa proteins in middle ear cavity of guinea pig.Immunohistochemical staining showed that only AQP1 located at capillary endothelial cells and fibroblasts of the submucous layer,as well as at flat and cubical epithelial cells.CONCLUSION The results suggest that AQP1,AQP4,AQP5 can express in the normal middle ear cavity of guinea pigs and may play a vital role in the water transmission in the middle ear.The air-filled middle ear cavity may result from the working of AQP1,AQP4,AQP5.