Aquaporin-1 and Aquaporin-3 Expressions in the Intervertebral Disc of Rats with Aging

Objective: The intervertebral disc (IVD) undergoes biochemical and morphologic degenerative changes during the process of aging. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of water channel proteins that facilitate water and small solute movement in tissues and may have a potential role in the aging degeneration of IVDs. One of the important problems in understanding disc degeneration is to find cellular molecules which contribute to the pathogenesis of IVDs. XThe aim of this study was to demonstrate the expression of aquaporin 1 and 3 in nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF) cells of rat lumbar intervertebral discs from both young and aged animals using immunohistochemistry.Material and Methods: Twenty Wistar-albino rats were included in the study. The rats were separated into two groups: 2-month-old rats (n=10) as the young group, 18-month-old rats (n=10) as the old group. The intervertebral disc tissues obtained from the lumbar spine (L1–L4, 4 discs) were used for immunohistochemical staining of AQP-1 and 3. Results: This study demonstrated that AQP-1 and AQP-3 immunoreactivity significantly decreased in NP and AF of aged rats compared to the young rats. Conclusion: We suggest that AQP-1 and 3 may contribute to the age related degeneration of the intervertebral disc.