Aquaporin water channels: roles beyond renal water handling

TY - JOUR

T1 - Aquaporin water channels

T2 - roles beyond renal water handling

AU - Login, Frédéric H.

AU - Nejsum, Lene Niemann

PY - 2023/9

Y1 - 2023/9

N2 - Aquaporin (AQP) water channels are pivotal to renal water handling and therefore in the regulation of body water homeostasis. However, beyond the kidney, AQPs facilitate water reabsorption and secretion in other cells and tissues, including sweat and salivary glands and the gastrointestinal tract. A growing body of evidence has also revealed that AQPs not only facilitate the transport of water but also the transport of several small molecules and gases such as glycerol, H 2O 2, ions and CO 2. Moreover, AQPs are increasingly understood to contribute to various cellular processes, including cellular migration, adhesion and polarity, and to act upstream of several intracellular and intercellular signalling pathways to regulate processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell invasiveness. Of note, several AQPs are highly expressed in multiple cancers, where their expression can correlate with the spread of cancerous cells to lymph nodes and alter the response of cancers to conventional chemotherapeutics. These data suggest that AQPs have diverse roles in various homeostatic and physiological systems and may be exploited for prognostics and therapeutic interventions.

AB - Aquaporin (AQP) water channels are pivotal to renal water handling and therefore in the regulation of body water homeostasis. However, beyond the kidney, AQPs facilitate water reabsorption and secretion in other cells and tissues, including sweat and salivary glands and the gastrointestinal tract. A growing body of evidence has also revealed that AQPs not only facilitate the transport of water but also the transport of several small molecules and gases such as glycerol, H 2O 2, ions and CO 2. Moreover, AQPs are increasingly understood to contribute to various cellular processes, including cellular migration, adhesion and polarity, and to act upstream of several intracellular and intercellular signalling pathways to regulate processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell invasiveness. Of note, several AQPs are highly expressed in multiple cancers, where their expression can correlate with the spread of cancerous cells to lymph nodes and alter the response of cancers to conventional chemotherapeutics. These data suggest that AQPs have diverse roles in various homeostatic and physiological systems and may be exploited for prognostics and therapeutic interventions.

KW - Aquaporins/chemistry

KW - Body Water/metabolism

KW - Homeostasis

KW - Humans

KW - Hydrogen Peroxide/metabolism

KW - Water/metabolism

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164911541&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41581-023-00734-9

DO - 10.1038/s41581-023-00734-9

M3 - Review

C2 - 37460759

SN - 1759-5061

VL - 19

SP - 604

EP - 618

JO - Nature Reviews. Nephrology

JF - Nature Reviews. Nephrology

IS - 9

ER -