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A Perspective for Ménière's Disease: In Silico Investigations of Dexamethasone as a Direct Modulator of AQP2.
Biomolecules, 12(4).
Ménière's disease is a chronic illness characterized by intermittent episodes ofvertigo associated with fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus andaural pressure. This pathology strongly correlates with a dilatation of the fluidcompartment of the endolymph, so-called hydrops. Dexamethasone is one of thetherapeutic approaches recommended when conventional antivertigo treatments havefailed. Several mechanisms of actions have been hypothesized for the mode ofaction of dexamethasone, such as the anti-inflammatory effect or as a regulatorof inner ear water homeostasis. However, none of them have been experimentallyconfirmed so far. Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane water channels and arehence central in the regulation of transcellular water fluxes. In the presentstudy, we investigated the hypothesis that dexamethasone could impact waterfluxes in the inner ear by targeting AQP2. We addressed this question throughmolecular dynamics simulations approaches and managed to demonstrate a directinteraction between AQP2 and dexamethasone and its significant impact on thechannel water permeability. Through compartmentalization of sodium and potassiumions, a significant effect of Na+ upon AQP2 water permeability was highlighted aswell. The molecular mechanisms involved in dexamethasone binding and in itsregulatory action upon AQP2 function are described.
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