The relationship between Aquaporin-2 protein levels in amniotic fluid and the fetal kidney in humans.

OBJECTIVES

Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) is an important water channel protein that is expressed in the renal collecting duct and plays a key role in urine concentration and body water homeostasis. It has been demonstrated that the urinary excretion of AQP2 correlates strongly with its expression in the kidney in adult humans and rats. However, there have been no studies on the urinary excretion of AQP2 in human fetuses during development. Fetal urine is the main source of the amniotic fluid; we speculate that the level of AQP2 in the amniotic fluid could reflect the expression level of the AQP2 protein in the fetal kidney. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between AQP2 in the amniotic fluid and that in the fetal kidney.

METHODS

In the present study, the concentration of the AQP2 protein in human amniotic fluid was measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and its expression level in human fetal kidneys were examined by wastern blot and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Both the expression level of AQP2 in the fetal kidney (F = 195.9, P < 0.001) and the concentration of AQP2 in the amniotic fluid increased with gestational age (F = 1098, P < 0.001). Moreover, the concentration of AQP2 in the amniotic fluid was positively correlated with its expression level in the fetal kidney (r = 0.872, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our research indicates that AQP2 levels in the amniotic fluid may be used as a marker for AQP2 expression in the fetal kidney.