title: Decreased Expression of Aquaporin-1 in Lung Tissue of Silicotic Rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aquaporin-1 (AQP-1), found in the early 1990s, a water channel protein in the cell membranes of mammals, has been reported to play an important role in water balance of the respiratory system. However, there are a few studies about the role of AQP in occupational pulmonary disease such as silicosis. This study is to explore the information of aquaporin-1 (AQP-1) in the pathogenesis of silicosis by examining AQP expression, distribution, and location in the lung tissue of a silicotic rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar SPF rats were divided randomly into the following 8 groups (n = 8 per group): (1) saline control group: instillation of 1 mL sterile physiological saline; (2) silica groups (ld, 7d, 14d, 28d, 42d, 56d): instillation of a suspension of 50 mg silica dust in a total volume of 1 mL sterile physiological saline; (3) the normal control group without treatment. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and western blot were used to detect distribution and expression of AQP-1 in the lung tissue of rats exposed to silica.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of AQP-1 between normal and the saline control rats showed no significant difference, but was decreased in the silicotic model rats' lung.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of AQP-1 decreased in silicotic rats, which suggests that AQP-1 may play an important role in the formation of silicosis.
authors.forename: Hongli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shupeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Q
authors.forename: Heliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051398:Aquaporin 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012829:Silicosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: C496022:Aqp1 protein, rat; D051398:Aquaporin 1