NADPH oxidase 5 has a crucial role in cellular motility of colon cancer cells

NADPH oxidases (NOXs) are a family of transmembrane proteins that generate reactive oxygen species. It was previously reported that patients with colon cancer who had high NOX5 expression had poor prognosis. However, no studies have investigated the cellular functions of NOX5 in colon cancer. The present study aimed to clarify the relationship between NOX5 and cancer development using an in vitro model. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was performed to determine the NOX5 expression levels of colon cancer cell lines. NOX5‑knockdown experiments were conducted, and the effect on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were analyzed. In addition, mRNA microarray was conducted to assess changes in gene profile. NOX5 mRNA expression was high in HCT116 cells and moderate in SW48 cells. NOX5 knockdown significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion in both HCT116 and SW48 cells; however, NOX5 knockdown reduced cell proliferation in only HCT116 cells. mRNA microarrays revealed a strong relationship between NOX5 expression levels and integrin‑linked kinase signaling pathways. The NOX5 expression in colon cancer cells affected cancer progression, especially cell motility. NOX5 may be a novel therapeutic target for the future development of treatments for colon cancer.