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Volkart S, Kym U, Braissant O, Delgado-Eckert E, Al-Samir S, Angresius R, Huo Z, Holland-Cunz S, Gros SJ. AQP1 in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Mice: Expression Pattern and Impact of AQP1 Knockout on Colonic Function. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043616. [PMID: 36835026 PMCID: PMC9959819 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) is one of thirteen known mammalian aquaporins. Its main function is the transport of water across cell membranes. Lately, a role of AQP has been attributed to other physiological and pathological functions including cell migration and peripheral pain perception. AQP1 has been found in several parts of the enteric nervous system, e.g., in the rat ileum and in the ovine duodenum. Its function in the intestine appears to be multifaceted and is still not completely understood. The aim of the study was to analyze the distribution and localization of AQP1 in the entire intestinal tract of mice. AQP1 expression was correlated with the hypoxic expression profile of the various intestinal segments, intestinal wall thickness and edema, as well as other aspects of colon function including the ability of mice to concentrate stools and their microbiome composition. AQP1 was found in a specific pattern in the serosa, the mucosa, and the enteric nervous system throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The highest amount of AQP1 in the gastrointestinal tract was found in the small intestine. AQP1 expression correlated with the expression profiles of hypoxia-dependent proteins such as HIF-1α and PGK1. Loss of AQP1 through knockout of AQP1 in these mice led to a reduced amount of bacteroidetes and firmicutes but an increased amount of the rest of the phyla, especially deferribacteres, proteobacteria, and verrucomicrobia. Although AQP-KO mice retained gastrointestinal function, distinct changes regarding the anatomy of the intestinal wall including intestinal wall thickness and edema were observed. Loss of AQP1 might interfere with the ability of the mice to concentrate their stool and it is associated with a significantly different composition of the of the bacterial stool microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Volkart
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children’s Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Kym
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children’s Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Braissant
- Microcalorimetry Unit, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Edgar Delgado-Eckert
- Computational Physiology and Biostatistics, Department of Biomedical Engineering at University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Samer Al-Samir
- Vegetative Physiologie 4220, Zentrum Physiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Rebecca Angresius
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children’s Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zihe Huo
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children’s Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Holland-Cunz
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children’s Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie J. Gros
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children’s Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Correspondence:
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