Figure 1

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 induces epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). HBECs were incubated with TGF-β1 (5 ng/ml) for 72 h in order to induce EMT. (a) Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis shows that TGF-β1 induces the mRNA expression of collagen I α 1 and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)2 and downregulates the epithelial marker E-cad. The relative expression level of each gene was normalized to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) mRNA in the same sample. Statistical significance was determined by Student's t test; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. (b) Western-blot analysis shows that TGF-β1 induces an upregulation of mesenchymal proteins (N-cad, vimentin, MMP-2) and of the myofibroblast protein α-smooth muscle actin and a downregulation of the epithelial marker E-cad in two different culture media. It also reveals an upregulation of phosho-Smad2 with TGF-β1 stimulation. An antibody against GAPDH was used as loading control. All further experiments were performed in the presence of BEGM medium unless indicated otherwise.