Abstract
Background
Decreased expression of the renal aquaporin (AQP) protein family is associated with hydronephrosis in adult humans and animals. However, the expression of AQPs, especially subtypes AQP1–3, which play a core role in the urinary concentration function, in hydronephrotic human fetuses is not clear. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of the AQP1–3 in normal and hydronephrotic human fetal kidneys.
Methods
Twenty-one normal and six hydronephrotic kidney (HK) samples were harvested from abortive fetuses. Meanwhile, seven normal adult human kidney samples were collected as positive controls. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression of AQP1–3.
Results
Both the protein and messenger mRNA expression levels of AQP1–3 increased with gestational age in the normal fetuses, but the levels were significantly lower than those in the adult tissues and significantly higher than those in the hydronephrotic fetuses at the same gestational age.
Conclusions
The increased expression of AQP1–3 with gestational age in the fetal kidney may indicate maturation of the urinary concentrating ability. The lower expression of AQP1–3 in HKs may reflect a maturation obstacle with regard to urinary concentration in human hydronephrotic fetuses.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Kai Yang, who was the head nurse in the delivery room, and Xianlan Zhao, chief of the Department of Obstetrics, for helping us to collect the fetal kidney samples. We also would like to thank Xiaoping Shang, the statistician of the Department of Medical Record Room, for the statistical analysis help. This study was funded by the National Science Foundation of China (81370869 and 81370689).
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J.W., J.F., S.Y., Y.C., L.H., L.W., X.G., Y.W., Y.L., X.H., Z.H., C.R., Z.J., Z.G., R.Z., J.W., and J.W. made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study, acquisition of the data, or analysis and interpretation of the data; J.F., J.W., S.Y., Y.C., L.H., L.W., X.G., and Y.W. drafted the article or revised it critically for important intellectual content; J.F., L.H., and J.W. revised the manuscript. J.W. provided final approval of the version to be published. J.F., S.Y., and Y.C. made equal contributions to the research.
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Feng, J., Yan, S., Chen, Y. et al. Aquaporin1–3 expression in normal and hydronephrotic kidneys in the human fetus. Pediatr Res 86, 595–602 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0485-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0485-6
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