Effects of Aquaporins1, ENAC alpha Induced by Pro-b Cell Clonal Enhancer Factor on Growth, and Expression in Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Treated Human Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Cells

Objective: Lung cancer (LC) remains to be the most frequent cancer among male patients, nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of LC. Here we aim to investigate the effect of Pro-b cell clonal enhancer factor (PBEF) on the growth of human NSCLC cells treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Methods: NSCLC A549 cells were divided into four groups: (1) control group; (2) model group; (3) model + pCAGGS no-load control group; (4) model + pCAGGS PBEF group. PCAGGS PBEF plasmid was constructed and transfected into the cells, and the expression of PBEF was detected by qPCR and WB, H/R model was constructed, western blot (WB) was used to detect the expressions of AQP1 and ENaC alpha, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Results: Cell apoptosis ratio was higher in H/R model group than that of normal control group; there was no significant difference in apoptosis ratio between the model group and the no-load control group; while the apoptosis ratio in the overexpressed PBEF group was significantly higher than that of the no-load group. AQP1 and ENaC alpha protein levels were:significantly lower in the overexpressed PBEF group than the no-load group, while there was no significant difference among normal control group, the model group and the no-load group. Conclusion: Overexpression of PBEF promotes the apoptosis of H/R human NSCLC cells and inhibites the expression of AQP1 and ENaC alpha proteins, indicating that PBEF may play potential adjuvant therapeutic role in the treatment of NSCLC.