OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4) on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice.

METHODSIn wild type and AQP4 gene knockout (AQP4-/-) mice, lung fibrosis was induced by injection of bleomycin (3 mg/kg) into the trachea and saline injection was used as a control. At d3, 7, 14, 28 after bleomycin-treatment, mice were randomly sacrificed in batch and the lung coefficient was determined. Serum levels of TGF-β1 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA and hydroxyproline contents in lung tissue were determined by Alkaline hydrolysis method. H-E staining and Masson's staining were performed to examine the pathological changes of lung tissues after bleomycin-treatment.

RESULTSOn d14 after bleomycin-treatment, the lung coefficients in wild type mice and AQP4-/- mice were 1.9-fold (12.69 ± 6.05 vs 6.80 ± 0.82, q=4.204, P<0.05) and 2.3-fold (14.05 ± 5.82 vs 6.05± 0.58, q=5.172, P<0.01) of that in control, respectively, but no significant difference was found between wild type and AQP4-/- mice in the lung coefficient value (P>0.05). The hydroxyproline contents in the lung increased after bleomycin-treatment; on d28, the lung hydroxyproline contents in wild type and in AQP4-/- mice were 1.55-fold (0.85 ± 0.22 g/mg vs 0.55 ± 0.14 μg/mg, q=4.313, P<0.05) and 1.4-fold (0.84 ± 0.13 μg/mg vs 0.60 ± 0.14μg/mg, q=4.595，P<0.05) of that in control, respectively, but no significant difference was noticed between wild type and AQP4-/- mice in lung hydroxyproline contents. There was a tendency that serum TGF-β1 and TNF-α levels increased in bleomycin-treated mice, but no significant difference was found between wild type and AQP4-/- mice. AQP4-knockout showed no effects on pathological changes of lung tissues with H-E staining and Masson's staining in mice with bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.

CONCLUSIONAQP4 might not be involved in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice.