Abstract
Purpose :
Recent studies reported that high dose of glucose contributed to acceleration of renal cell apoptosis and renal fibrosis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tubular epithelial cells, in which c-Src kinase and TGF-β are key modulators. In the present study, we investigate the roles and relationship of c-Src kinase and TGF-β in EMT of lens epithelial cells (LECs)under high glucose condition.
Methods :
Lens epithelial cells-B3 were cultured with high glucose (35.5 mM) in DMEM, in addition with 10 μmol/L PP1 (an inhibitor of c-Src) or 10 μmol/L SB431542 (an inhibitor of ALK5) for 12 hours. In c-Src knockdown experiments, LECs were transfected with shRNA-Vector or shRNA-c-Src and then cultured in DMEM with high glucose for 12 h. Western blot assay was used to evaluate the expressions of c-Src phosphorylation (p-Src418), TGF-β, EMT protein markers (E-cadherin and α-SMA) and ALK5. ELISA assay was used to evaluate the secretion of TGF-β of LECs.
Results :
PP1 inhibited the activities of c-Src, activin-like kinase5 (ALK5) and secretion of TGF-β, while SB431542 only down regulated the protein expression and secretion of TGF-β. They all suppressed the EMT of the LECs induced by high glucose. In LEC-B3 of c-Src knockdown, the expressions of p-Src418, ALK5, and TGF-β decreased significantly (p < 0.05), the secretion of TGF-β also suppressed and EMT decreased.
Conclusions :
These results suggest that both c-Src and TGF-β promote EMT of LECs under high glucose conditions, with c-Src as the upstream regulatory molecule. Thus, the signal axis of c-Src/TGF-β in EMT of LECs may be a potential novel therapeutic target for the prevention of diabetic subcapsular cataract.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.