Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a common cause of death in intensive care units worldwide. Due to the high complexity of this immunological syndrome development of novel therapeutic strategies is urgent. Promising drug targets or biomarkers may depict aquaporins (AQPs) as they regulate crucial key mechanisms of sepsis. MAIN BODY: Here we report on base of the current literature that several AQPs are involved in different physiological processes of sepsis. In immune system mainly AQPs 3, 5 and 9 seem to be important, as they regulate the migration of different immune cells. Several studies showed that AQP3 is essential for T cell function and macrophage migration and that AQP5 and AQP9 regulate neutrophil cell migration and impact sepsis survival. Additionally, to the function in immune system AQPs 1 and 5 play a role in sepsis induced lung injury and their downregulation after inflammatory stimuli impair lung injury. By contrast, AQP4 expression is up-regulated during brain inflammation and aggravates brain edema in sepsis. In kidney AQP2 expression is downregulated during sepsis and can cause renal failure. Some studies also suggest a role of AQP1 in cardiac function. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, AQPs are involved in many physiological dysfunctions in sepsis and their expressions are differently regulated. Additional research on the regulatory mechanisms of aquaporins may identify potential therapeutic targets.