Glial-conditional deletion of aquaporin-4 (Aqp4) reduces blood–brain water uptake and confers barrier function on perivascular astrocyte endfeet

Oct 13, 2011Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Removing a water channel from support cells lowers brain water intake and strengthens the barrier around blood vessels

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Abstract

Glial-conditional Aqp4 knockout mice showed a 31% reduction in brain water uptake after systemic hypoosmotic stress.

  • Astroglial AQP4 is essential for regulating water exchange at the blood-brain interface.
  • Conditional knockout of the Aqp4 gene eliminated AQP4 in the brain without affecting endothelial pools.
  • Immunofluorescence and quantitative analysis confirmed the absence of AQP4 signals in capillary endothelia.
  • Deletion of astroglial AQP4 delayed postnatal resorption of brain water.
  • The findings indicate that the blood-brain barrier may be more complex than previously understood.

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