Overexpression of PTEN Inhibits Renal Epithelial-mesenchymal Trans-differentiation Induced by TGF-β1 / 华中科技大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects of overexpression of PTEN on renal epithelial-mesenchymal trans-differentiation induced by TGF-β1,and the signaling transduction mechanism.Methods HKC cells were transfected with GFP-PTEN via lipofectAMINE2000.The efficiency of transfection was detected by fluorescence microscope.The expression of PTEN protein and mRNA in the translected cells was detected by Western blot and RT-PCR respectively.The experiment was divided into four groupsnormal group,TGF-β1 stimulation group,GFP-PTEN+TGF-β1 group and empty vector+TGF-β1 group.The expression of E-cadherin,a-SMA,Akt and p-Akt was detected by Western blot.Results Most ceils transfected with GFP-PTEN expressed GFP.The expression of PTEN protein and mRNA was strongly increased when HKC cells were transfected with GFP-PTEN(all P<0.05).In both TGF-β1 stimulation group and empty vector+TGF-β1 group,the expression level of E-cadherin was lower(all P<0.05),while that of p-Akt and a-SMA was higher than in normal group(both P<0.05).The expression level of p-Akt and a-SMA in GFP-PTEN+TGF-β1 group was Iower(both P<0.05),while that of E-cadherin was higher than in TGF-β1 stimulation group and empty vector+TGF-β1 group(both P<0.05).The expression of Akt was similar in the four groups.Conclusion Overexpression of PTEN can inhibit renal epithelial-mesenehymal trans-differentiation induced by TGF-β1 through suppressing the activation of PI3K/Akt signal pathway.