title: [Effects of the water channel aquaporin 4 deficiency on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice].
abstract: To evaluate the effect of water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4) on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice.
  
  
  
  In wild type and AQP4 gene knockout (AQP4-/-) mice, lung fibrosis was induced by injection of bleomycin (3 mg/kg) into the trachea and saline injection was used as a control. At d3, 7, 14, 28 after bleomycin-treatment, mice were randomly sacrificed in batch and the lung coefficient was determined. Serum levels of TGF-β1 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA and hydroxyproline contents in lung tissue were determined by Alkaline hydrolysis method. H-E staining and Masson's staining were performed to examine the pathological changes of lung tissues after bleomycin-treatment.
  
  
  
  On d14 after bleomycin-treatment, the lung coefficients in wild type mice and AQP4-/- mice were 1.9-fold (12.69 ± 6.05 vs 6.80 ± 0.82, q=4.204, P<0.05) and 2.3-fold (14.05 ± 5.82 vs 6.05± 0.58, q=5.172, P<0.01) of that in control, respectively, but no significant difference was found between wild type and AQP4-/- mice in the lung coefficient value (P>0.05). The hydroxyproline contents in the lung increased after bleomycin-treatment; on d28, the lung hydroxyproline contents in wild type and in AQP4-/- mice were 1.55-fold (0.85 ± 0.22 g/mg vs 0.55 ± 0.14 μg/mg, q=4.313, P<0.05) and 1.4-fold (0.84 ± 0.13 μg/mg vs 0.60 ± 0.14μg/mg, q=4.595，P<0.05) of that in control, respectively, but no significant difference was noticed between wild type and AQP4-/- mice in lung hydroxyproline contents. There was a tendency that serum TGF-β1 and TNF-α levels increased in bleomycin-treated mice, but no significant difference was found between wild type and AQP4-/- mice. AQP4-knockout showed no effects on pathological changes of lung tissues with H-E staining and Masson's staining in mice with bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.
  
  
  
  AQP4 might not be involved in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: Xu-yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery， Second Affiliated Hospital， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310009， China; Department of Thoracic Surgery， Zhejiang Cancer Hospital， Hangzhou 310022， China.
authors.forename: Xiao-fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: Zhi-xian
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: Shu-ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: San-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: Wei-ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: Er-qing
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology， Zhejiang University School of Medicine， Hangzhou 310058， China.
authors.forename: Yun-bi
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000235:genetics*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C496031:Aqp4 protein, mouse; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D001761:Bleomycin