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Functional Expression of PEPT2 in the Human Distal Lung Epithelial Cell Line NCl-H441

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Abstract

Purpose

The peptide transporter PEPT2 is expressed in alveolar type II epithelial cells. So far, however, no appropriate alveolar epithelial cell line for studying PEPT2 function has been known. In this study, we examined the functional expression of PEPT2 in the human distal lung epithelial cell line NCl-H441 (H441).

Methods

Expression of PEPT2 mRNA and protein was examined in H441 cells. Transport function of PEPT2 was studied using glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar) as a substrate.

Results

Lamellar bodies were well developed in H441 cells and mRNA expression of type II cell markers and PEPT2 increased during time in culture. PEPT2 protein expression was confirmed in H441 cells, but not in A549 cells, by immunostaining and Western blotting. The uptake of Gly-Sar in H441 cells was inhibited by cefadroxil, and the cefadroxil-sensitive uptake was pH-dependent and peaked at pH 6.5. Gly-Sar uptake in H441 cells showed saturation kinetics with a K m value of 112.5 μM. In addition, apical-to-basal, but not basal-to-apical, transport of cephalexin across H441 cell monolayers was sensitive to cefadroxil.

Conclusions

PEPT2 is functionally expressed in H441 cells, making the cell line a good in vitro model to study PEPT2 function and its regulation in human distal lung.

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Abbreviations

3OMG:

3-O-Methyl-D-glucose

ABCA3:

ATP-binding cassette A3

CLSM:

Confocal laser scanning microscopy

DEX:

Dexamethasone

FBS:

Fetal bovine serum

GAPDH:

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Gly-Sar:

Glycylsarcosine

H441:

NCl-H441

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatography

ITS:

Insulin-transferrin-sodium selenite

LysoTracker Red:

Lyso-Tracker® Red DND-99

NOD1:

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein 1

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

rBBM:

Renal brush-border membrane

SP-C:

Surfactant protein C

TEER:

Transepithelial electrical resistance

γ-iE-DAP:

γ-D-Glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLOSURES

We thank the Analysis Center of Life Science, the Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, and the Natural Science Center for Basic Research and Development, Hiroshima University for the use of their facilities. We also thank Ms. C. Yamamoto and Mr. J. Deguchi for their helpful assistance in working on this study. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan

    Mikihisa Takano, Natsumi Sugimoto & Ryoko Yumoto

  2. School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Panoz Institute, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Carsten Ehrhardt

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  1. Mikihisa Takano
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  2. Natsumi Sugimoto
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  4. Ryoko Yumoto
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Correspondence to Mikihisa Takano.

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Takano, M., Sugimoto, N., Ehrhardt, C. et al. Functional Expression of PEPT2 in the Human Distal Lung Epithelial Cell Line NCl-H441. Pharm Res 32, 3916–3926 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-015-1751-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-015-1751-x

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