Aquaporin 4: a player in cerebral edema and neuroinflammation.

Abstract

Neuroinflammation is a common pathological event observed in many different brain diseases, frequently associated with blood brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and followed by cerebral edema. Neuroinflammation is characterized with microglia activation and astrogliosis, which is a hypertrophy of the astrocytes. Astrocytes express aquaporin 4, the water channel protein, involved in water homeostasis and edema formation. Aside from its function in water homeostasis, recent studies started to show possible interrelations between aquaporin 4 and neuroinflammation. In this review the roles of aquaporin 4 in neuroinflammation associated with BBB disruption and cerebral edema will be discussed with recent studies in the field.

• Authors: Andrew M Fukuda, Jerome Badaut
• Journal: Journal of neuroinflammation (J Neuroinflammation) Vol. 9 Pg. 279 (Dec 27 2012) ISSN: 1742-2094 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23270503 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Review)

Chemical References

• Aquaporin 4

Topics

• Animals
• Aquaporin 4 (metabolism)
• Autoimmune Diseases (complications)
• Blood-Brain Barrier (physiopathology)
• Brain Edema (etiology, metabolism, pathology)
• Brain Injuries (complications)
• Encephalitis (etiology, metabolism, pathology)
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Neuroglia (metabolism, pathology)