[Expression and its significance of aquaporins in normal guinea pig inner ears].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and its significance of aquaporins (AQPs) in normal guinea pig inner ears. METHOD: Ten healthy guinea pigs were used. Immunohistochemistry were employed to detect AQP0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 in normal guinea pig inner ears,using rabbit anti-rat polyclonal antibodies. RESULT: AQP0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 were all expressed in guinea pig inner ears. AQP0 was only located in stria vascularis and spiral ganglion. The distribution of AQP1 consisted of cells lining the bony labyrinth, fibrocytes lining the endolymphatic duct and sac, cells under the basilar membrane, fibrocytes of the spiral ligament and the spiral limbus,Corti's organ, inner and outer spiral sulcus, stria vascularis, saccular and utricular wall, and spiral ganglion. AQP2 located in stria vascularis, Corti's organ, spiral ganglion and endolymphatic sac. AQP3,7,8 distributed in a similar manner which was surrounding the membranous labyrinth, including Corti's organ, inner and outer spiral sulcus, stria vascularis, fibrocytes of the spiral ligament and the spiral limbus, saccular and utricular wall, endolymphatic sac and spiral ganglion. AQP5 located at Corti's organ, inner and outer spiral sulcus, spiral ganglion, fibrocytes in spiral ligament. CONCLUSION: Diverse AQPs are distributed in the normal guinea pig inner ears,which may co-work to maintain the homeostasis of the inner ear.