Expression and function of aquaporins in human skin: Is aquaporin-3 just a glycerol transporter?

AbstractThe aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of transmembrane proteins forming water channels. In mammals, water transport through AQPs is important in kidney and other tissues involved in water transport. Some AQPs (aquaglyceroporins) also exhibit glycerol and urea permeability. Skin is the limiting tissue of the body and within skin, the stratum corneum (SC) of the epidermis is the limiting barrier to water loss by evaporation. The aquaglyceroporin AQP3 is abundantly expressed in keratinocytes of mammalian skin epidermis. Mice lacking AQP3 have dry skin and reduced SC hydration. Interestingly, however, results suggested that impaired glycerol, rather than water transport was responsible for this phenotype. In the present work, we examined the overall expression of AQPs in cells from human skin and we reviewed data on the functional role of AQPs in skin, particularly in the epidermis. By RT-PCR on primary cell cultures, we found that up to 6 different AQPs (AQP1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10) may be selectively expressed in various cells from human skin. AQP1, 5 are strictly water channels. But in keratinocytes, the major cell type of the epidermis, only the aquaglyceroporins AQP3, 10 were found. To understand the role of aquaglyceroporins in skin, we examined the relevance to human skin of the conclusion, from studies on mice, that skin AQP3 is only important for glycerol transport. In particular, we find a correlation between the absence of AQP3 and intercellular edema in the epidermis in two different experimental models: eczema and hyperplastic epidermis. In conclusion, we suggest that in addition to glycerol, AQP3 may be important for water transport and hydration in human skin epidermis

Peak power in obese and nonobese adolescents: effects of gender and braking force

PURPOSE:The aim of this study was to determine the cycling peak power (CPP) of obese compared with nonobese adolescents and to identify possible effects of braking force (BF) and gender on CPP. To adjust for differences in body size, we used ratio standard and allometric model. METHODS:Obese (26 girls, 18 boys) and nonobese (30 girls, 20 boys) adolescents participated. Fat-free mass (FFM) was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in obese and by anthropometric method in nonobese groups. A force-velocity test was used to measure peak power (flywheel inertia included) for BF corresponding to applied load: 25, 50, and 75 g x kg(-1) body mass (BM). The highest peak power was defined as CPP. RESULTS:CPP was independent of BF in nonobese adolescents but dependent in obese adolescents. The optimal braking load is approximately 6.5% FFM. Absolute CPP was higher in obese than nonobese adolescents. Related to BM, CPP was significantly lower in obese than nonobese adolescents, using the standard ratio or the allometric model. These differences disappeared when CPP was related to FFM. Multiple stepwise regression showed that FFM was the most important explanatory variable of the variance of CPP (72%) in obese and nonobese adolescents. No significant difference between obese and nonobese adolescents occurred when Fopt was related to FFM (standard or power function ratios used). There was no gender effect on CPP, and the manner of expressing CPP did not affect the results. However, girls showed a higher FFM-related Fopt than boys, using standard and power function ratios. CONCLUSION:There was no significant difference between obese and nonobese girls and boys for anaerobic performance (CPP and Fopt) when FFM was taken into accoun

Proposal for research and development on a central tracking detector based on scintillating fibres

Among the techniques envisaged to realize particle tracking at the LHC, scintillating fibres form a reasonable compromise in terms of price, hit density, space resolution, response time, occupancy and heat production. This proposal covers the current status and achievements of the scintillating fibre technique and presents a future R&D programme at CERN, with reference in particular to the improvement of hit density for small diameter fibres and to the further development of an optoelectronic delay line for track image readout