Role of Superoxide-generating Noxl in Neoplastic Transformation of Human Epithelial Cells

摘要

It is recognized that Nox homologs including Noxl are involved in proliferation and apoptosis of nonphagocytic cells. We had previously developed model cells exhibiting increased malignant transformation by chronically treating GM16 cells with ethanol. We produced EPI, and FIB cells. The latter were more transformed. Compared with EPI cells, we found that FIB cells showed increased expression of Noxl as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase. A question was raised whether Noxl is involved in an early step of cell transformation by inducing resistance against terminal differentiation. We now demonstrated that Noxl overexpression induced the generation of differentiation resistant cells, and these cells contained the preneoplastic marker simple epithelial keratins 18/8.