Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
-
Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. · Jul 2009
Comparative StudyReduced lung water transport rate associated with downregulation of aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-5 in aged mice.
1. The purpose of the present study was to examine lung water transport properties and the expression and regulation of the alveolar endothelial water channel aquaporin (AQP)-1 and the epithelial water channel AQP-5 in aged mouse lung using gene expression analysis and water permeability measurements. 2. In aged (20-24-month-old) mice, AQP-1 and AQP-5 mRNA expression decreased by 55.5 and 50.3%, respectively, compared with that in young (8-10-week-old) mice (P < 0.01). ⋯ The present study provides the first evidence of altered lung water transport associated with downregulation of AQPs in aged lung. Blood glucocorticoid hormone levels are important to maintain normal AQP-1 expression in the lung microvascular endothelium. Corticosteroid-induced AQP-1 upregulation may contribute to the role of corticosteroids in accelerating oedema clearance in aged lung.