Aim: Aquaporins (AQP) are water channel proteins, and some play an important role in maternal-fetal fluid exchange. The present study aimed to measure the osmotic water permeability in primary cultures of trophoblast cells from AQP1-deficient (AQP1(-/-) ) pregnant mice and to define the quantitative role of AQP1 in water transport across the trophoblast plasma membrane.
Material and methods: Trophoblast cells were obtained from placental tissue cell culture of AQP1(-/-) pregnant mice and were characterized by cytokeratin 7 immunostaining. The expression of the AQP1 gene in trophoblast cells of wild-type (AQP1(+/+) ) mice was confirmed by immunofluorescence. The osmotic water permeability of trophoblast plasma membranes was measured by a calcein fluorescence quenching method in response to osmotic gradients.
Results: A primary cell culture system for trophoblasts was successfully established. Immunofluorescence showed the expression of AQP1 in the trophoblast cell membrane of AQP1(+/+) mice. The osmotic water permeability of AQP1(-/-) trophoblast cells was significantly lower than that in AQP1(+/+) trophoblast cells, in response to both hypotonic and hypertonic challenges.
Conclusion: The results suggest an important role of AQP1-mediated plasma membrane water permeability in maternal-fetal fluid balance and also provide a potential direction for the identification of therapeutic targets for the treatment of abnormalities in amniotic fluid volume.
Keywords: aquaporin 1; cell culture; maternal-fetal fluid balance; trophoblast; water permeability.
© 2015 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.