Takeda Taizo, Taguchi Daizo
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kochi Medical School, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Kochi, Nankoku, 783-8505, Japan.
Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2009(190):171-84. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-79885-9_8.
The homeostasis of water in the inner ear is essential for maintaining function of hearing and equilibrium. Since the discovery of aquaporin water channels, it has become clear that these channels play a crucial role in inner ear fluid homeostasis. Indeed, proteins or mRNAs of AQP1, AQP2, AQP3, AQP4, AQP5, AQP6, AQP7 and AQP9 are expressed in the inner ear. Many of them are expressed mainly in the stria vascularis and the endolymphatic sac, which are the main sites of secretion and/or absorption of endolymph. Vasopressin type2 receptor is also expressed there. Water homeostasis of the inner ear is regulated in part via the arginine vasopressin-AQP2 system in the same fashion as in the kidney, and endolymphatic hydrops, a morphological characteristic of Meniere's disease, is thought to be caused by mal-regulation of this system. Therefore, aquaporins appear to be important for the development of novel drug therapies for Meniere's disease and related disorders.
内耳中的水平衡对于维持听力和平衡功能至关重要。自水通道蛋白水通道被发现以来，很明显这些通道在内耳液体平衡中起着关键作用。事实上，AQP1、AQP2、AQP3、AQP4、AQP5、AQP6、AQP7和AQP9的蛋白质或mRNA在内耳中表达。其中许多主要在内耳血管纹和内淋巴囊中表达，而内耳血管纹和内淋巴囊是内淋巴分泌和/或吸收的主要部位。2型血管加压素受体也在那里表达。内耳的水平衡部分通过精氨酸血管加压素 - AQP2系统以与肾脏相同的方式进行调节，而内淋巴积水作为梅尼埃病的一种形态学特征，被认为是由该系统的调节异常引起的。因此，水通道蛋白似乎对于开发针对梅尼埃病及相关疾病的新型药物疗法很重要。
