Human proximal tubular epithelial cells express connective tissue growth factor induced by TGFβ_1

Objective To investigate the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the human tubular epithelial cells (HTECs) induced by transforming growth factor β 1(TGFβ 1). Methods HTECs cultured in vitro were divided into three groups: control group (C): cultured with free serum medium (FSM); TGFβ 1 treatment groups (T a and T b): cultured with FSM containing different concentrations of TGFβ 1 (T a:20 ng/ml, T b: 40 ng/ml). After treatment for 96 hours, CTGF expression was examined by immunohistochemical staining and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results ① C group: Both CTGF mRNA by RT-PCR and CTGF protein by immunohistochemical staining in HTECs were negative. ② T a and T b groups: Both CTGF mRNA and protein expression were positive. Compared with those in T a group, both CTGF mRNA and protein expression in T b group were significantly increased (P0.01). Conclusion TGFβ 1 can induce CTGF expression in HTECs in a dose- depended way.