Quercetin alters uterine fluid volume and aquaporin (AQP) subunits (AQP-1, 2, 5 & 7) expression in the uterus in the presence of sex-steroids in rats.
Effects of quercetin on uterine fluid volume and aquaporin (AQP) expression in the uterus were investigated. Estradiol (E) or estradiol followed by progesterone (E+P) were given to ovariectomised rats with or without quercetin (10, 50 or 100mg/kg/day) treatment. Uteri were harvested and its inner/outer circumference ratio was determined. AQP-1, 2, 5 and 7 mRNA and protein levels in uterus were quantified by Real-time PCR and Western blotting respectively. Protein distribution was observed by immunohistochemistry. Administration of quercetin in E-treated rats decreased the uterine fluid volume and uterine AQP-2 expression. In E+P-treated rats, administration of 100mg/kg/day quercetin increased uterine fluid volume, AQP-1 and 2 expression but decreased AQP-7 expression in uterus. AQP-1 was distributed in stromal blood vessels while AQP-2, 5 and 7 were distributed in uterine epithelium.



Quercetin-induced changes in uterine fluid volume and AQP subunits expression in uterus could affect the uterine reproductive functions under different sex-steroid influence.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Huma
H
Shahzad
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nelli
N
Giribabu
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kamarulzaman
K
Karim
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, MAHSA University, Jalan Elmu, Off Jalan University, 59100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sekaran
S
Muniandy
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Normadiah M
NM
Kassim
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: naguib.salleh@gmail.com.
Naguib
N
Salleh
D000818:Animals; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
D020346:Aquaporins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011794:Quercetin
Aquaporins; Quercetin; Sex-steroids; Uterine fluid volume