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Aquaporin-4 distribution in control and stressed astrocytes in culture and in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with traumatic brain injuries

Neurological Sciences volume 34, pages 1309–1314 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Distribution of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) was studied by western analysis and immunofluorescence in rat astrocytes exposed to either hypothermic (30 °C) or hyperosmolar (0.45 M sucrose) stress, and in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients who suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI). CSF was obtained from 5 healthy subjects and from 20 patients suffering from severe TBI. CSF samples were taken at admission and on days 3 and 5–7. Here we report that, in response to both hypothermia and hyperosmolar stress, AQP4 was markedly reduced in cultured astrocytes. We also found that AQP4 significantly increased in patients with severe brain injury in respect to healthy subjects (P < 0.002). AQP4 in CSF remained unchanged in patients with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), whereas there was a clear tendency to further increase in those patients whose ICP could be controlled within the normal range. We conclude that AQP4 levels in CSF are elevated after TBI and it might serve as a useful biochemical marker to assess brain water metabolism in clinical settings.

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Acknowledgments

The experimental work was supported by the University of Palermo (Italy). The studies were carried out with the written permission and under the control of the Institutional Review Board of the University of Pécs (IRB 00003108).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of di Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences (BIONEC), University of Palermo, I-90127, Palermo, Italy

    Marianna Lo Pizzo & Italia Di Liegro

  2. Department of Molecular and Biomolecular Technological Sciences (STEMBIO), University of Palermo, I-90128, Palermo, Italy

    Gabriella Schiera & Carlo Maria Di Liegro

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, H-7624, Pécs, Hungary

    József Pál & Tamás Dóczi

  4. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, H-7624, Pécs, Hungary

    Endre Czeiter

  5. Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Health Promotion and Family Care, University of Pécs, 7621, Pécs, Hungary

    Endre Sulyok

  6. MTA-PTE Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, H-7624, Pécs, Hungary

    József Pál & Tamás Dóczi

Authors
  1. Marianna Lo Pizzo
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  2. Gabriella Schiera
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  3. Italia Di Liegro
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  4. Carlo Maria Di Liegro
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  5. József Pál
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  6. Endre Czeiter
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  7. Endre Sulyok
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  8. Tamás Dóczi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Italia Di Liegro.

Additional information

M. Lo Pizzo and G. Schiera contributed equally.

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Lo Pizzo, M., Schiera, G., Di Liegro, I. et al. Aquaporin-4 distribution in control and stressed astrocytes in culture and in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with traumatic brain injuries. Neurol Sci 34, 1309–1314 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-012-1233-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-012-1233-4

Keywords

  • Cultured astrocytes
  • Cerebrospinal fluid
  • Aquaporin-4
  • Traumatic brain injury