Neuropathological alteration of aquaporin 1 immunoreactive enteric neurons in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract Long-term diabetic patients exhibit major clinical gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea and constipation. In recent years, water channel protein, aquaporin 1 (AQP1) has been identified in the enteric nervous system (ENS). We have examined the pathological changes in AQP1 immunoreactive (IR) neurons in streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic rats. Eight-week-old Wistar rats were injected with streptozotocin, and artificial diabetes was induced. Sixteen-week-old STZ rats were then examined with double immunofluorescence staining and ABC immunohistochemical staining. AQP1-IR neurons in STZ rats were significantly increased compared with control rats ( p  p