title: Overexpression of Aquaporin 1 on cysts of patients with polycystic liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polycystic liver disease (PCLD) represents a group of genetic disorders that include autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and isolated polycystic liver disease (iPCLD). There is currently no definitive treatment except for liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the expression level of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) on the PCLD cysts with different sizes and provide the potential therapeutic target.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected 3 normal bile ducts, and recruited 8 patients with simple liver cyst disease, 24 patients with ADPKD, and 17 patients with iPCLD. AQP1 expression in different types of cyst walls and in normal bile ducts was detected using real time quantitative PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence staining. We also compared AQP1 expression levels in cysts of different sizes. Besides, ionic concentrations, pH and osmolality of cyst fluid were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that AQP1 expression in PCLD cysts was significantly higher than that in simple liver cysts and the normal bile ducts. In addition, a comparable increasing trend was found in cysts of smaller sizes to cysts of larger sizes. pH values, the sodium and chloride concentrations were higher in cyst fluid than that in the serum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AQP1 was overexpressed in cystic cholangiocytes. A tendency of increased AQP1 protein expression in correlation with the cyst size was also found. These observations offered a direction into the molecular mechanisms of cyst expansion and maybe provide new treatment strategies to reduce fluid secretion into liver cysts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Norman Bethune Hospital Affiliated to J, China.
authors.forename: Dingyang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Norman Bethune Hospital Affiliated to J, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoju
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Prostate Diseases Prevention and Treatment Researc, the First Norman Bethune Hospital Affiliated to J, China.
authors.forename: Lijing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Andrology Laboratory, the First Norman Bethune Hospital Affiliated to J, China.
authors.forename: Zuowen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Norman Bethune Hospital Affiliated to J, China.
authors.forename: Shuli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Norman Bethune Hospital Affiliated to J, China.
authors.forename: Guangyi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051398:Aquaporin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C496020:AQP1 protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D051398:Aquaporin 1