Mechanism of aquaporin 4 (AQP 4) up-regulation in rat cerebral edema under hypobaric hypoxia and the preventative effect of puerarin

Hypoxia triggers inflammatory response, during which AQP4 of astrocytes can be up regulated through the release of TNF-α and IL-6 from microglia. Puerarin can exert a preventative effect on the increase of AQP4 through inhibiting the release of TNF-α and phosphorylation of NF-κB, MAPK pathway.