Originally published as JHC exPRESS on September 29, 2008. doi:10.1369/jhc.2008.952499
Volume 57 (1): 61-67, 2009 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Immunolocalization of Aquaporin 1, 5, and 9 in the Female Pig Reproductive System
Department of Animal Physiology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland (MTS); Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Taegu, Korea (THK); and The Water and Salt Research Center, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark (SN) Correspondence to: Mariusz T. Skowronski, MVD, PhD, Department of Animal Physiology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-718 Olsztyn, Poland. E-mail: skowron{at}uwm.edu.pl
Thirteen mammalian aquaporin (AQP) isoforms have been identified, and they have a unique tissue-specific pattern of expression. AQPs have been documented in the reproductive system of both male and female humans, rats, and mice. However, tissue expression and cellular and subcellular localization of AQPs are unknown in the female reproductive system of pigs. In this study, AQP1 immunoreactivity was detected in the capillary endothelium of the ovary. Distinct immunolabeling of capillary endothelium was also observed in the oviduct and uterus. AQP5 was expressed in flattened follicle cells of primordial follicles, granulosa cells of developing ovarian follicles, and muscle cells of the oviduct and uterus. Staining of AQP5 was also observed in the epithelial cells of the oviduct and uterine epithelium. AQP9 immunoreactivity was observed in granulosa cells of developing follicles. AQP9 was also localized in the luminal epithelial cells of the oviduct and uterine epithelia cells. This is, to our knowledge, the first study that shows tissue expression and cellular and subcellular localization of AQPs in the reproductive system of the female pig. Moreover, these results suggest that several subtypes of the AQPs (AQP1, 5, and 9) are involved in regulation of water homeostasis in the reproductive system of gilts. (J Histochem Cytochem 57:61–67, 2009)
Key Words: aquaporins immunolocalization female reproductive system pig
AQUAPORINS (AQPs) are water-selective channels that allow water transport through the plasma membrane of the cells. These proteins were identified more than a decade ago (Preston and Agre 1991
The first confirmation of AQP in the female reproductive system was obtained by isolating and sequencing the cDNA encoding a water channel from the human uterus (Li et al. 1994 The aim of this study was therefore to examine the tissue expression and cellular and subcellular localization of AQPs in the reproductive system of gilts.
Experimental Animals All experiments were performed in accordance with the principles and procedures of Animal Ethics Committee of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. Tissue samples were recovered from mature cross-bred gilts on days 17–19 of the estrous cycle (follicular phase). The animals were studied during the third estrous cycle, which was controlled with vasectomized boars, and additionally, the stage of the cycle was confirmed, as previously shown (Akins and Morrissette 1968
Primary Antibodies
SDS-PAGE and Immunoblotting The samples were warmed to 37C and were loaded into 12.5% polyacrylamide gels, and proteins were separated by electrophoresis. The total protein amount in each sample was adjusted by staining with Gelcode Coomassie Blue Stain Reagent (Bie and Berntsen; Åbyhøj, Denmark) to calculate equal loading. The proteins of studied gels were electrotransferred onto nitrocellulose membranes (Hybond ECL RPN3032D; Amersham Bioscience, Little Chalfont, UK) for 1 hr at 100 V. The membranes were blocked with 5% milk in PBS-T (80 mM Na2HPO4, 20 mM NaH2PO4, 100 mM NaCl, pH 7.5, and 0.1% v/v Tween 20) for 1 hr. After washing, the membranes were incubated overnight at 5C with anti-AQPs antibody. The membranes were washed and incubated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibody (DAKO; Glostrup, Denmark) in PBS-T for 1 hr. After washing with PBS-T, the sites of antibody–antigen reaction were visualized with HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies (P448, diluted 1:3,000; DAKO) with an enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) system (Amersham Bioscience) and exposed to photographic film (Hyperfilm ECL, RPN3103K; Amersham Bioscience).
IHC
IHC analysis using antibodies against nine AQPs (AQP1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 11) was performed to examine whether these water channel proteins are expressed in the female pig reproductive system. The analysis confirmed the expression of AQP1, AQP5, and AQP9. In contrast, no staining for other examined AQPs (AQP2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 11) was observed in tested tissues (data not shown). The data obtained are presented in Figures 1
AQP1 immunoreactivity was detected in the capillary endothelium of the ovary (Figure 1A). An identical labeling pattern was observed in the oviduct (Figure 1B) and uterus (Figure 1C). As a positive control, AQP1 labeling was seen in the apical and basolateral plasma membrane domains in the proximal tubule cells of pig kidney (Figure 1D), consistent with the previous findings in the kidneys of mice, rats, and humans (Nielsen et al. 1995
AQP5 was localized in granulosa cells and flattened follicle cells of the primordial follicles in the ovary (Figures 2A and 2B). In the oviduct, anti-AQP5 antibody labeled the cells of the muscles layer (Figure 2C) and luminal epithelial cells (Figure 2D). In the uterus, AQP5 was found in the smooth muscle cells (Figure 2E) and luminal and glandular epithelial cells (Figure 2F). As a positive control, AQP5 antibody noticeably stained (Figure 2G) the apical plasma membrane of the type I pulmonary epithelial cells of the pig, consistent with the previous findings seen in the lung tissues of mice, rats, and humans (Nielsen et al. 1997
AQP9 immunoreactivity was observed in the granulosa cells of the developing follicles in the ovary (Figure 3A). In the oviduct, AQP9 immunoreactivity was detected in the epithelial cells (Figure 3B). The anti-AQP9 antibody labeled the luminal and glandular epithelial cells of the uterus (Figure 3C). As a positive control, in agreement with the previous observation in the liver tissues of mice and rats (Carbrey et al. 2003 Negative controls for all IHC analyses were performed by both omitting the primary antibodies specific to each AQP (Figures 1E, 2H, and 3E) and using non-immune IgG (data not shown), and no specific immunostaining was observed.
In this study, IHC and immunoblotting showed that three isoforms of water channel proteins (AQP1, 5, and 9) are expressed in the pig ovary, oviduct, and uterus. In contrast, IHC showed no immunostaining for other examined AQPs (AQP2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 11).
AQPs in Ovary
AQPs in Oviduct
AQPs in Uterus
Recently, AQP2 expression was found in human endometrial cells of the uterus (He et al. 2006 To our knowledge, this is the first IHC study pertaining to the expression of AQPs in the female reproductive system in pigs. These results suggest the role of AQPs in water homeostasis within tissues of the porcine ovary, oviduct, and uterus. Further studies are necessary to establish the physiological role of these proteins in relation to reproductive processes in the pig.
This research was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Grants N N308 0042 33 and 0206.0805). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that would prejudice the impartiality of this scientific work. The authors thank Prof. Stanislaw Okrasa for comments and suggestions.
Received for publication August 8, 2008; accepted September 15, 2008
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