PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nicola Miglino
AU  - Seidel Petra
AU  - Michael Roth
AU  - Charlotte Sadowski-Cron
AU  - Didier Lardinois
AU  - Michael Tamm
AU  - Pieter Borger
TI  - Cigarette smoke down-regulates the expression of β-catenin in primary human lung fibroblasts
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p778
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p778.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p778.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Rationale: Cigarette smoke is the major cause of COPD/emphysema but the etiology of these diseases is still unknown. β-catenin is a signaling molecule which is regulated through degradation/stabilization mechanism, and which promotes cell proliferation via the Wnt signaling pathway. Decreased β-catenin signaling may be involved in the parenchymal tissue destruction leading to emphysema.Objectives: Investigate the effect of cigarette smoke on the expression of β-catenin and cell proliferation in primary human lung fibroblasts (n=6).Methods: Fibroblasts were exposed to cigarette smoke conditioned medium (20%, 24 hours). Expression of β-catenin was determined by immuno-blotting. Proliferation was determined by [3H]-thymidine incorporation.Results: Cigarette smoke significantly down-regulated β-catenin expression and reduced proliferation of primary lung fibroblasts.Conclusions: Cigarette smoke down-regulates β -catenin and reduces cell proliferation in lung fibroblasts which may underlie the impaired tissue repair leading to parenchymal destruction in the lung of COPD/emphysema patients.