ABSTRACT
AIM: To examine the effects of cigarette smo ke extract (CSE) and lipo polysaccharide (LPS) on the production of transforming growth factor-? 1 (TGF- ? 1 ) mRNA and protein in cultured human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF). METHODS: The cultured HELF were incubated with CSE, LPS or CSE in com bination with LP S for 24 hours at 37℃, respectively. The total RNA was extracted from the cells . The expression levels of TGF-? 1 mRNA were evaluated by reverse transcription - p olymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The mRNA levels of TGF-? 1 were corrected by GAPDH transcripts, and TGF-? 1 protein levels were determined by immunocytoch emistry. RESULTS: CSE stimulated the TGF-? 1 mRNA expression i n HELF at lower concentr ati ons (1∶50 and 1∶25)( P 0.05). LPS enhanced TGF-? 1 mRNA levels in HELF at a ll three doses (0.1 mg/L, 1 mg/L, and 10 mg/L)( P