Aquaporins in Respiratory System

Abstract

Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channel proteins facilitating fluid transport in alveolar space, airway humidification, pleural fluid absorption, and submucosal gland secretion. In this chapter, we mainly focus on the expression of four AQPs in the lungs, which include AQP1, AQP2, AQP4, and AQP5 in normal and disease status, and the experience of AQPs function from various model and transgenic mice were summarized in detail to improve our understanding of the role of AQPs in fluid balance of respiratory system. It has been suggested that AQPs play important roles in various physiology and pathophysiology conditions of different lung diseases. There still remains unclear the exact role of AQPs in lung diseases, and thus continuous efforts on elucidating the roles of AQPs in lung physiological and pathophysiological processes are warranted.

Keywords: Aquaporins; Fluid transport; Lung disorders.