Do aquaporins have a role in nocturnal enuresis?

Aquaporins are proteins that mediate transmembrane water transport in a variety of tissues including the kidney. Vasopressin plays an important role in regulation of water metabolism, and under normal conditions the kidney collecting duct is extremely sensitive to vasopressin. Vasopressin stimulates the synthesis of aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in kidney collecting duct principal cells. Studies in Brattle Boro rats which are vasopressin deficient, revealed low levels of AQP2 in association with extreme polyuria. After vasopressin treatment for 5 days AQP2 levels increased threefold. Using rat models with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) we have demonstrated that AQP2 expression is down regulated in association with polyuria, suggesting that reduced levels of AQP2 may be a general factor in acquired forms of NDI from a variety of reasons. The polyuria and urinary concentrating defects associated with an abnormal nightly-increase in AVP in patients with nocturnal enuresis may partly be due to a lack of vasopressin-mediated AQP2 expression since treatment with desmopressin in these patients have normalised their nocturnal urine production.