Effect of cortisol on Aquaporin expression in the esophagus of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla).

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
• Main Authors: Martinez, A-S, Cutler, Christopher Paul, Wilson, GD, Philips, C, Hazon, Neil, Cramb, Gordon
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: European eel; aquaporin; cortisol; esophagus; seawater (SW) acclimation; SEAWATER; Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/effect-of-cortisol-on-aquaporin-expression-in-the-esophagus-of-the-european-eel-anguilla-anguilla(d483fefd-e545-4810-95d3-dcf00f8b78d4).html; https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1327.072; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=22144465802&partnerID=8YFLogxK

Long-term cortisol infusion into freshwater (FW)-adapted eels induced a significant increase in aquaporin-1 (AQP1) mRNA expression within the esophageal epithelium of migratory "silver" eels, but not in nonmigratory, immature "yellow" eels. Cortisol treatment had no significant effect on the mRNA abundance of a second aquaporin-1 isoform, termed AQP1dup, which exhibited a highly variable expression profile among individual members of all fish groups. These results suggest that cortisol, at plasma concentrations similar to that found during FW/seawater (SW) acclimation, induces upregulation in AQP1 expression and thus increases esophageal water permeability during the migration of eels to the SW environment.