Expression pattern of aquaporin 4 and 5 in the middle ear of guinea pigs with secretory otitis media.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that aquaporins 4 and 5 (AQP4 and AQP5) in the middle ear cavity may play a vital role in the homeostasis of the tubotympanum and in the course of the accumulation of the effusion in secretory otitis media (SOM).


OBJECTIVE
To explore the pathological change in water homeostasis in the middle ear in SOM and to observe the expression and regulation of AQP4 and AQP5 in the middle ear cavity in SOM.


METHODS
Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect AQP4 and AQP5 in the bullae of animal models of SOM and normal animals. The expression patterns of AQP4 and AQP5 in the SOM group were compared with those in the normal group.


RESULTS
RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses revealed that mRNAs encoding AQP4 and AQP5 were expressed in the middle ear membrane of the guinea pigs in both groups; AQP4 was also detected as 33 kDa protein in both groups. Quantitative analysis of RT-PCR and Western blotting revealed that expression of AQP4 and AQP5 was higher in the SOM group than in the control group.
Zhang
Qian
Q
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, PR China.
Liu
Changjian
C
Wang
Jianqun
J
Sun
Jianhe
J
Hu
Yingyan
Y
Chen
Guangtao
G
Li
Xingqi
X
D000818:Animals; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000235:genetics*; D051402:Aquaporin 5 / Q000235:genetics*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000235:genetics
D051401:Aquaporin 4; D051402:Aquaporin 5