Rhubarb extract partially improves mucosal integrity in chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis

Figure 1 Directional blockade of water flux through an aquaporin-4 channel by reconstituted aqueous rhubarb extract. A: Diagram of a water channel illustrating the intra-subunit water pores in each subunit of the tetramer; B: Illustration of the volume changes induced by osmotic gradients in mammalian AQP4-expressing Xenopus oocytes; C: Dose-dependent blockade of swelling but not shrinking responses by rhubarb extract (RE) in AQP4-expressing oocytes; D: Diagram of the hypothesized effect of blockade by extracellular RE at AQP4 channels present in the basolateral side of intestinal barrier epithelial cells, predicted to result in enhanced net fluid absorption.