The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is an important signalling pathway that regulates a large number of cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation and gene expression. Hyperosmotic stress activates the ERK pathway, whereas little is known about the regulatory mechanisms and physiological functions of ERK activation in hyperosmotic response. Here, we show th...

Dental caries remains the most common chronic childhood disease. Despite strong evidence of genetic components, there have been few studies of candidate genes and caries. In this analysis we tried to assess genetic and environmental factors contributing to childhood caries in the Iowa Fluoride Study. Environmental factors (age, sex, race, tooth-brushing frequencies and water fluoride level) and...

From the nasopharynx to the pleural space, alterations in fluid transport are central to a wide range of pathophysiologic processes in the respiratory tract. Despite intense investigation, details of the pathways for water transport in the respiratory tract remain unclear. Insight into molecular mechanisms of membrane water permeability was provided by the discovery of the aquaporins, a growing...

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a microangiopathic complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) affecting one-third of diabetic patients. The large variability in the clinical presentation of renal involvement in patients with DM makes kidney biopsy a prerequisite for a correct diagnosis. However, renal biopsy is an invasive procedure associated with risk of major complications. Numerous studies aimed t...

Objectives of this study were to investigate whether AQP1 and AQP5 expression is altered during intervertebral disc degeneration and if hypoxia and HIF-1 regulate their expression in NP cells. AQP expression was measured in human tissues from different degenerative grades; regulation by hypoxia and HIF-1 was studied using promoter analysis and gain- and loss-of-function experiments. We show tha...

IL-13 is known to affect many processes that contribute to an asthmatic phenotype, including inflammation, fibrosis, and mucus production. Members of the aquaporin (AQP) family of transmembrane water channels are targets of regulation in models of lung injury and inflammation. Therefore, we examined AQP mRNA and protein expression in allergen and IL-13-induced mouse models of asthma. Lungs from...

Expression and localization of members of the aquaporin (AQP) family (AQP1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) in the kidney of the musk shrew (Suncus murinus) was examined by immunohistochemistry. AQP1 was expressed in the proximal tubules and in the thin limb of the loops of Henle. AQP1 was the only water channel expressed in the proximal nephron examined, indicating that AQP1 may be an independent water transp...