Knockdown of the sodium-dependent phosphate co-transporter 2b (NPT2b) suppresses lung tumorigenesis

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 23;8(10):e77121. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077121. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

The sodium-dependent phosphate co-transporter 2b (NPT2b) plays an important role in maintaining phosphate homeostasis. In previous studies, we have shown that high dietary inorganic phosphate (Pi) consumption in mice stimulated lung tumorigenesis and increased NPT2b expression. NPT2b has also been found to be highly expressed in human lung cancer tissues. The association of high expression of NPT2b in the lung with poor prognosis in oncogenic lung diseases prompted us to test whether knockdown of NPT2b may regulate lung cancer growth. To address this issue, aerosols that contained small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against NPT2b (siNPT2b) were delivered into the lungs of K-ras (LA1) mice, which constitute a murine model reflecting human lung cancer. Our results clearly showed that repeated aerosol delivery of siNPT2b successfully suppressed lung cancer growth and decreased cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis, while facilitating apoptosis. These results strongly suggest that NPT2b plays a role lung tumorigenesis and represents a novel target for lung cancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / administration & dosage
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinogenesis / drug effects
  • Carcinogenesis / genetics*
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques / methods
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Mice
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / administration & dosage
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / pharmacology*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sodium-Phosphate Cotransporter Proteins, Type IIb / genetics*

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • DNA Primers
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Slc34a2 protein, mouse
  • Sodium-Phosphate Cotransporter Proteins, Type IIb