title: Aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-3 expressions in the intervertebral disc of rats with aging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The intervertebral disc (IVD) undergoes biochemical and morphologic degenerative changes during the process of aging. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of water channel proteins that facilitate water and small solute movement in tissues and may have a potential role in the aging degeneration of IVDs. One of the important problems in understanding disc degeneration is to find cellular molecules which contribute to the pathogenesis of IVDs. XThe aim of this study was to demonstrate the expression of aquaporin 1 and 3 in nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF) cells of rat lumbar intervertebral discs from both young and aged animals using immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Wistar-albino rats were included in the study. The rats were separated into two groups: 2-month-old rats (n=10) as the young group, 18-month-old rats (n=10) as the old group. The intervertebral disc tissues obtained from the lumbar spine (L1-L4, 4 discs) were used for immunohistochemical staining of AQP-1 and 3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study demonstrated that AQP-1 and AQP-3 immunoreactivity significantly decreased in NP and AF of aged rats compared to the young rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that AQP-1 and 3 may contribute to the age related degeneration of the intervertebral disc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Taş
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caylı
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inanır
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Birsen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozyurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ocaklı
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zafer İsmail
authors.initials: Zİ
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Şifa University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarsılmaz
keywords: Intervertebral disc; aging; aquaporin 1 and aquaporin 3; immunohistochemistry; rat