Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that mesenchymal transition in human lens epithelial cells is the main pathological change after cataract. Transforming growth factor-β2 can induce the mesenchymal transition.
OBJECTIVE: To in vitro culture human lens epithelial cells and to investigate the effect of transforming growth factor-β2 on the expression of E-cadherin and α-smooth muscle actin in human lens epithelial cells.
METHODS: First, human lens epithelial cells were cultured in vitro by tissue block method and passaged. Then, the 5th generation of human lens epithelial cells were collected and treated with transforming growth factor-β2 (100 ng/L) for inducement for 48 hours. Next, the expression of α-smooth muscle actin mRNA and E-cadherin mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-PCR, and the expression of the two proteins mentioned above were detected with Western blot method.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After human lens epithelial cells were treated with transforming growth factor-β2 for 48 hours, the expression of E-cadherin was decreased significantly; while the expression of α-smooth muscle actin was increased significantly. These results suggest that transforming growth factor-β2 can successfully induce mesenchymal transition in human lens epithelial cells, and the lens epithelial cells treated with transforming growth factor-β2 can be used as a cell model for mesenchymal transition.