Associations between Aquaglyceroporin Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVES: AQP7 and AQP9 represent glycerol channel in adipose tissue and liver and have been associated with metabolic diseases. We aimed to investigate the associations between genetic variants in AQP7 and AQP9 genes and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Chinese population. METHODS: Blood samples were drawn from 400 T2DM patients and 400 age- and gender-matched controls. Genomic DNA was extracted by proteinase K digestion and phenol–chloroform extraction. Genotyping of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AQP7 (rs2989924, rs3758269, and rs62542743) and AQP9 (rs57139208, rs16939881) was performed by the polymerase chain reaction assay with TaqMan probes. RESULTS: The subjects with rs2989924 GA+AA genotypes had 1.47-fold increased risk of T2DM (odds ratio [OR] 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-2.04), compared to those with GG genotype, and this association remained significant after adjustment for covariates (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.07-2.57). When compared with rs3758269 CC genotype, the subjects with CT+TT genotypes had 45% decreased T2DM risk after multivariate adjustment (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.35-0.85). The associations were evident in elder and overweight subjects and those with central obesity. No association was observed between AQP9 SNPs and T2DM risk. CONCLUSIONS: AQP7 SNP rs2989924 and rs3758269 were associated with T2DM risk in Chinese Han population.