Analysis of specificity and sensitivity of AQP1 and AQP5 in pulmonary edema after pulmonary blast injury

Abstract

Objective To establish a pulmonary blast injury model in rats, detect the water levels (dry-wet ratio) in the damaged pulmonary tissues of the rats exposed to different explosive equivalents, the levels of mRNA of AQP1 and AQP5, as well as the differences in the expressions of proteins, and also to evaluate specificity and sensitivity of AQP1 and AQP5 in the detection and diagnosis of pulmonary edema after pulmonary blast injury. Methods The blast injury model was developed by simulated blast. The animals were randomly divided into 3 groups in accordance with the explosive equivalents they exposed to. Three times the atmospheric pressure and 1.5 times the atmospheric pressure were respectively applied to the rats of Group A and Group B, while the rats of Group C without any treatment were assigned as the normal blank control group. Changes in the expression levels of AQP1 and AQP5 as well as TNF-α and IL-6 were detected after explosion, and pathophysiological changes were also observed closely. Results The mortality rate and the levels of AQP1 and AQP5 in the animals of Group A were apparently higher than those of the animals of Group B and Group C. Conclusions In the confined and high pressure environment, the seriousness of pulmonary edema in the exposed rats deteriorated with the increase of pressure. Mortality rate, expressions of AQP1, AQP5, AQP1 and AQP5 played an important role in the incidence of pulmonary edema, and their expressions were positively correlated with the seriousness of pulmonary edema. The expressions of AQP1 and AQP5 were positively associated with TNF-α and IL-6, which could be used as the indicators for the seriousness of pulmonary edema induced by blast injury. Key words: Pulmonary blast injury; Pulmonary edema; AQP1; AQP5