Effect of aldosterone on aquaporin and ionophorous protein expressions in guinea pig cochlea / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of aldosterone on aquaporin and ionophorous protein expressions in the cochlea of guinea pigs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Na-K ATPase and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) mRNA in the cochlea of guinea pigs 6 h after intraperitoneal aldosterone injection. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of aquaporin 1(AQP1) in the cochlea 1 month after the injection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Early after aldosterone injection, the expression level of Na-K ATPase beta(1) and beta(3) subunit mRNAs remained unchanged and level of ENaC alpha subunit mRNA was up-regulated in the cochlear lateral wall (P<0.05), and 1 month after the injection, the expression of AQP1 protein was down-regulated (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The effect of aldosterone on the cochlea is mediated possibly through its action on the genome, and aldosterone may cause ion concentration alterations to induce endolymphatic hydrops.</p>