Aquaporin-6 is expressed along the rat gastrointestinal tract and upregulated by feeding in the small intestine.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several aquaporins (a family of integral membrane proteins) have been recently identified in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, and their involvement in the movement of fluid and small solutes has been suggested. In this direction we investigated, in some regions of the rat gastrointestinal tract, the presence and localization of aquaporin-6, given its peculiar function as an ion selective channel.

Results

RT-PCR and immunoblotting experiments showed that aquaporin-6 was expressed in all the investigated portions of the rat gastrointestinal tract. The RT-PCR experiments showed that aquaporin-6 transcript was highly expressed in small intestine and rectum, and less in stomach, caecum and colon. In addition, jejunal mRNA expression was specifically stimulated by

SUBMITTER: Laforenza U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2765416 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature