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Aquaporin and brain diseases.
Jérôme Badaut1, Andrew M Fukuda2, Amandine Jullienne3
1Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA; Department of Physiology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA; Univ Bordeaux, CNRS UMR 5287, 146 rue Leo Saignat33076 Bordeaux cedex.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|February 12, 2014
Summary
Aquaporins (AQPs), especially AQP4, play a dual role in brain injury edema. Early AQP inhibition may prevent swelling, while later AQP function aids water clearance, highlighting their therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Physiology
Background:
- Water channel proteins, aquaporins (AQPs), are present in the brain.
- Their roles in normal and pathological brain conditions are under intense investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on brain aquaporins, focusing on AQP1, AQP4, and AQP9.
- To highlight the significance of AQP4, the most abundant AQP in the central nervous system.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent research on brain aquaporins.
- Focus on studies investigating AQP4 in various brain pathologies.
Main Results:
- AQP4 is extensively studied in brain pathologies like stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Experimental results indicate a dual role for AQP4 in edema: early inhibition may prevent formation, while later function is crucial for resolution.
Conclusions:
- Aquaporins, particularly AQP4, are critical in both the formation and resolution of edema post-brain injury.
- The complex, dual function of AQPs makes them a promising therapeutic target for brain edema.
- Further research is essential to develop specific therapeutic agents targeting water flux through these channels.
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