BACKGROUND:Previous studies have demonstrated that aquaporin-4 (AQP4) plays a key role in the formation and resolution of brain edema.However,the molecular mechanisms and role of AQP4 in hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain edema remain poorly understood.OBJECTIVE:To establish a newborn animal model of astrocytic oxygen-glucose deprivation and reintroduction,to observe the correlation between AQP4 and cellular volume,and to investigate the role of AQP4 in the development of brain edema following oxygen deprivation and reintroduction.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:A comparative experiment was performed at the Experimental Center of West China Second University Hospital between October 2007 and April 2009.MATERIALS:Astrocytes were derived from the neocortex of Sprague Dawley rats aged 3 days.METHODS:Astrocytes were incubated in glucose/serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium,followed by 1% oxygen for 6 hours.Finally,oxygen-glucose deprivation and reintroduction models were successfully established.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were used to measure expression of AQP4 mRNA and protein in cultured rat astrocytes following oxygen-glucose deprivation and reintroduction.Astrocytic cellular volume,as determined by [3H]-3-O-methyl-D-glucose,was used to represent the extent of astrocytic swelling.RESULTS:During oxygen-glucose deprivation,AQP4 mRNA and protein expression gradually decreased in astrocytes,whereas cellular volume increased in a time-dependent manner (P< 0.01).Following oxygen-glucose reintroduction,AQP4 mRNAand protein expression was upregulated,peaked at day 7,and then gradually decreased,but still higher than normal levels (P < 0.05).However,cellular volume gradually decreased (P < 0.01),and then reached normal levels at day 7.CONCLUSION:AQP4 expression highly correlated with cellular volume changes,suggesting that AQP4 played an important role in modulating brain water transport in an astrocytic oxygen-glucose deprivation and reintroduction model.