Abstract
Introduction: Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane proteins that facilitate water and small solute movement in tissues. Hydrocephalus is a major central nervous system disorder associated with defective cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) turnover. Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is a water channel located mainly at the choroid plexus epithelium and plays an active role in CSF production. The aim of this study is to review the pertinent literature concerning the role of aquaporin-1 in the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus.
Methods: We performed a MEDLINE search using the terms aquaporin AND hydrocephalus. The results of the search were further refined to exclude studies not related to aquaporin-1.
Results: Five studies were identified. Three of these studies utilized an animal model, while only two studies referred to a few human cases of hydrocephalus. Most of the studies indicate that there is a down-regulation of AQP1 expression in choroid plexus in models of hydrocephalus. A small series of human choroid plexus tumors showed that AQP1 expression is up-regulated. In cases of human choroid plexus tumors, there are indications that AQP1 may have alternative physiologic roles, but it is not clear whether this is associated with a specific type of hydrocephalus or the genetic burden of the tumor.
Conclusion: There has been a paucity of research on the link between aquaporins and hydrocephalus. Most studies have relied on animal models. An adaptive and protective role of AQP1 as a regulator of CSF production is proposed in the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus. Further research is needed to clarify if this association exists in humans.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Agre P, King LS, Yasui M, Guggino WB, Ottersen OP, Fujiyoshi Y, Engel A, Nielsen S (2002) Aquaporin water channels–from atomic structure to clinical medicine. J Physiol 542:3–16
Badaut J, Lasbennes F, Magistretti PJ, Regli L (2002) Aquaporins in brain: distribution, physiology, and pathophysiology. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 22:367–378
Brown PD, Davies SL, Speake T, Millar ID (2004) Molecular mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid production. Neuroscience 129:957–970
Edwards RJ, Dombrowski SM, Luciano MG, Pople IK (2004) Chronic hydrocephalus in adults. Brain Pathol 14:325–336
Johansson PA, Dziegielewska KM, Ek CJ, Habgood MD, Møllgård K, Potter A, Schuliga M, Saunders NR (2005) Aquaporin-1 in the choroid plexuses of developing mammalian brain. Cell Tissue Res 322:353–364
Kimelberg HK (2004) Water homeostasis in the brain: basic concepts. Neuroscience 129:851–860
Longatti P, Basaldella L, Orvieto E, Dei Tos A, Martinuzzi A (2006) Aquaporin(s) expression in choroid plexus tumours. Pediatr Neurosurg 42:228–233
Longatti PL, Basaldella L, Orvieto E, Fiorindi A, Carteri A (2004) Choroid plexus and aquaporin-1: a novel explanation of cerebrospinal fluid production. Pediatr Neurosurg 40:277–283
Mao X, Enno TL, Del Bigio MR (2006) Aquaporin 4 changes in rat brain with severe hydrocephalus. Eur J Neurosci 23:2929–2936
Masseguin C, Corcoran M, Carcenac C, Daunton NG, Güell A, Verkman AS, Gabrion J (2000) Altered gravity downregulates aquaporin-1 protein expression in choroid plexus. J Appl Physiol 88:843–850
Masseguin C, Mani-Ponset L, Herbuté S, Tixier-Vidal A, Gabrion J (2001) Persistence of tight junctions and changes in apical structures and protein expression in choroid plexus epithelium of rats after short-term head-down tilt. J Neurocytol 30:365–377
Mobasheri A, Marples D (2004) Expression of the AQP-1 water channel in normal human tissues: a semiquantitative study using tissue microarray technology. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 286:C529–C537
Nielsen S, Smith BL, Christensen EI, Agre P (1993) Distribution of the aquaporin CHIP in secretory and resorptive epithelia and capillary endothelia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90:7275–7279
Oshio K, Song Y, Verkman AS, Manley GT (2003) Aquaporin-1 deletion reduces osmotic water permeability and cerebrospinal fluid production. Acta Neurochir Suppl 86:525–528
Oshio K, Watanabe H, Song Y, Verkman AS, Manley GT (2005) Reduced cerebrospinal fluid production and intracranial pressure in mice lacking choroid plexus water channel Aquaporin-1. FASEB J 19:76–78
Paul L, Madan M, Rammling M, Behman B, Pattisapu JV (2009) The altered expression of aquaporin 1 and 4 in choroid plexus of congenital hydrocephalus. Cerebrospinal Fluid Res 6:S7
Praetorius J (2007) Water and solute secretion by the choroid plexus. Pflugers Arch 454:1–18
Praetorius J, Nielsen S (2006) Distribution of sodium transporters and aquaporin-1 in the human choroid plexus. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 291:C59–C67
Silverberg GD, Huhn S, Jaffe RA, Chang SD, Saul T, Heit G, Von Essen A, Rubenstein E (2002) Downregulation of cerebrospinal fluid production in patients with chronic hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg 97:1271–1275
Smith ZA, Moftakhar P, Malkasian D, Xiong Z, Vinters HV, Lazareff JA (2007) Choroid plexus hyperplasia: surgical treatment and immunohistochemical results. Case report. J Neurosurg 107:255–262
Speake T, Freeman LJ, Brown PD (2003) Expression of aquaporin 1 and aquaporin 4 water channels in rat choroid plexus. Biochim Biophys Acta 1609:80–86
Tait MJ, Saadoun S, Bell BA, Papadopoulos MC (2008) Water movements in the brain: role of aquaporins. Trends Neurosci 31:37–43
Verkman AS (2009) Aquaporins: translating bench research to human disease. J Exp Biol 212:1707–1715
Conflicts of interest statement
We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag/Wien
About this paper
Cite this paper
Kalani, M.Y.S., Filippidis, A.S., Rekate, H.L. (2012). Hydrocephalus and Aquaporins: The Role of Aquaporin-1. In: Aygok, G., Rekate, H. (eds) Hydrocephalus. Acta Neurochirurgica Supplementum, vol 113. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0923-6_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0923-6_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-0922-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-0923-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)