Cigarette smoke extract is a Nox agonist and regulates ENaC in alveolar type 2 cells

There is considerable evidence that cigarette smoking is the primary etiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and that oxidative stress occurs in COPD with the family of tissue nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (Nox) enzymes playing a significant role in lung pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on Nox signaling to epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs). Pre-treatment with diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), a pan-Nox inhibitor, prevented stimulatory effects of CSE on ENaC activity; open probability (Po) changed from 0.36 ± 0.09 to 0.11 ± 0.02; n = 10, p = 0.01 following CSE and DPI exposure. Likewise, Fulvene-5 (which inhibits Nox2 and Nox4 isoforms) decreased the number of ENaC per patch (from 2.75 ± 0.25 to 1 ± 0.5, n = 9, p = 0.002) and open probability (0.18 ± 0.08 to 0.02 ± 0.08, p = 0.04). Cycloheximide chase assays show that CSE exposure prevented α-ENaC subunit degradation, whereas concurrent CSE exposure in the presence of Nox inhibitor, Fulvene 5, resulted in normal proteolytic degradation of α-ENaC protein in primary isolated lung cells. In vivo, co-instillation of CSE and Nox inhibitor promoted alveolar flooding in C57Bl6 mice compared to accelerated rates of fluid clearance observed in CSE alone instilled lungs. Real-time PCR indicates that mRNA levels of Nox2 were unaffected by CSE treatment while Nox4 transcript levels significantly increased 3.5 fold in response to CSE. Data indicate that CSE is an agonist of Nox4 enzymatic activity, and that CSE-mediated Nox4 plays an important role in altering lung ENaC activity.