Expression and significance of aquaporin 1 in placenta, placental membranes and peritoneum of patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

Abstract

To explore the role of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) in the initiation and development of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP), and to analyze the relationship between AQP1 expression and ascites formation of patients with eclampsia. Sixty inpatients with HDCP were recruited in the study, including 20 patients with gestational hypertension, 20 with mild preeclampsia, and 20 with severe preeclampsia. And 20 healthy pregnant women were taken as control. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze AQP1 expressions in placenta, embryolemma and peritoneum, and B-mode ultrasonography was used to detect the ascites level of the patients. (1) AQP1 expression was detected in placenta, embryolemma and peritoneum. AQP1 was mainly located in endotheliocytes of blood vessels and blood capillaries in placenta, endothelial cells of amniotic membrane in embryolemma, and endotheliocytes of blood capillary and small veins in peritoneum. (2) The ascites incidence of HDCP patients (63%, 38/60) was higher than that of controls (10%, 2/20; P < 0.01). (3) The positive expressive rate of AQP1 in placenta of patients with HDCP (85%) was higher than that of controls (70%, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the AQP1 positive expressive rate from severe preeclampsia (90%) was obviously higher than that from gestational hypertension patients (80%, P < 0.05). (4) The AQP1 positive expressive rate in embryolemma from HDCP patients (87%) was lower than that of controls (95%, P < 0.05). The expressive rate from severe preeclampsia patients (80%) was obviously lower than that from gestational hypertension patients (95%, P < 0.05) and that of controls. (5) The AQP1 expressive rate in peritoneum from HDPC patients (82%) was higher than that of controls (70%, P < 0.01). The expressive rate of AQP1 from severe preeclampsia patients (90%) was obviously higher than that from gestational hypertension patients (75%, P < 0.05) and that of controls. The expression level of AQP1 of patients with preeclampsia increases in placenta and peritoneum and decreases in embryolemma, and holds correlation with the degree of HDCP. All these suggest that the changes in AQP1 expression may play an important role in the initiation and development of HDCP and may be one of the mechanisms for ascites formation.