RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) induced by direct or indirect exposure to free silicon dioxide(SiO_2) and the expression of surface protein marker in rat typeⅡalveolar epithelial cell RLE-6TN.METHODS: i) The alveolar macrophages(AM) were isolated from specific pathogen-free SD rat by bronchoalveolar lavage.AM and RLE-6TN were treated with 0-140 mg/L(final concentration) of SiO_2 suspension and were cultured conventionally for 24,48 and 72 hours. The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. The result of CCK-8 essay was used to choose the SiO_2 concentration for the following study. ii) To establish models of RLE-6TN co-cultured with AM that were seeded in Transwell. The cells were divided into 4 groups: the direct control group(RLE-6TN,no SiO_2 exposed),the direct exposure group(RLE-6TN,treated with 100 mg/L SiO_2),the indirect control group(RLE-6TN and AM were cocultured,no SiO_2 exposed) and the indirect exposure group(RLE-6TN and AM were co-cultured,AM was treated with 100 mg/L SiO_2 directly). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of E-cadherin(E-cad) and α-smooth muscle protein(α-SMA) after cells were cultured for 0,24,48 and 72 hours. RESULTS: i) According to the CCK-8 assay,the final concentration of 100 mg/L SiO_2 was chosen for the following study. ii) The difference of relative expression of E-cad andα-SMA in RLE-6TN was statistically significant in different treatment combination and time(P < 0. 01). The E-cad expression of RLE-6TN at 48 and 72 hours in the direct exposure group and the indirect exposure group was lower than that in direct control group at the same time point(P < 0. 05). The E-cad expression in RLE-6TN at 72 hours in the direct exposure group was lower than that in the 0 and 24 hours(P < 0. 05). The E-cad expression in RLE-6TN at 48 and 72 hours in the indirect exposure group was lower than that in the 0 hour(P < 0. 05). At 48 and 72 hours,the α-SMA expression in the indirect exposure group and the direct exposure group was higher than that in their control groups at the same time point(P < 0. 05). The expression of α-SMA in the indirect exposure group was higher than that in the direct exposure group(P < 0. 05). The expression of α-SMA in both exposure groups increased in a time-effect relationship(P <0. 05). CONCLUSION: Direct or indirect exposure to free SiO_2 can induce EMT in RLE-6TN,and decrease the expression of E-cad and increase the expression of α-SMA in a time-effect relationship. Indirect exposure group is more susceptible to EMT.
