Aquaporins (AQPs), the rapid transition pores for water molecules, play an important role in maintenance of intracellular water balance. Studies showed that AQPs were also involved in occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of tumors. In this study, we aimed to explore the distribution and expression differences of aquaporin 6 (AQP6) and aquaporin 8 (AQP8) in epithelial ovarian tumors. The expression of AQP6 and AQP8 in 47 cases of epithelial ovarian tumors were measured by immunochemical technique and Western blotting. AQP6 was strongly expressed in benign ovarian tumors, but weak signal was shown in malignant tumors. The difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Compared with serous adenoma and normal tissues, AQP6 expression in serous carcinoma was obviously decreased (P < 0.05). AQP8 expressions were both identified in benign and malignant tumors, but there was no significantly statistical difference (P > 0.05). For patients with large volume of malignant ascites (>1000 ml), AQP8 expression was increased (P < 0.05). AQP8 expression in malignant tumors was not related to different clinical stages, presence of lymphatic metastasis, and differentiation degrees (P > 0.05). These data showed that AQP6 and AQP8 had different expression degrees in epithelial ovarian tissues, which suggests that AQP6 and AQP8 may play certain roles in epithelial ovarian tumors.
Keywords: Aquaporin 6; Aquaporin 8; Epithelial ovarian tumor.