Abstract: Aquaporin-1 (AQP1), the only water channel that expressed in most microvascular endothelia outside of brain, plays an important role in the mechanism of urinary concentration in outer modularly descending vasa recta, in chylomicron absorption in lacteal endothelia, and in fluid balance across the corneal endothelium. In vascular endothelium, AQP1 is closely related to nitric oxide (NO) and CO2 transport, vascular function of dilatation and contraction, myocardial edema and necrosis after myocardial ischemia, angiopoiesis, migration of endothelial cells and tumor spread.

Key words: aquaporin-1, water transport, endothelial function