RNA Interference Targeting Snail Inhibits the Transforming Growth Factor β2-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Lens Epithelial Cells

Epithelial-msenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to posterior capsule opacification (PCO) type of cataract. Transcription factors Snail is a key trigger of EMT activated by transforming growth factor β (TGF β ). This study was done to investigate the effect of Snail targeting siRNA on TGF β 2-induced EMT in human lens epithelial cells. TGF β 2 treatment of cultured human epithelial cell line (HLEB3) upregulated the expression of Snail and the EMT relevant molecules such as vimentin and α -SMA but downregulated the expression of keratin and E-cadherin. After the stimulation of TGF β 2, the HLEB3 cells became fibroblast-like in morphology, and the junctions of cell-cell disappeared. TGF β 2 treatment also enhanced migration ability of HLEB3 cells. TGF β 2-induced Snail expression and EMT were significantly inhibited by Snail siRNA. By analyzing the response characteristics of HLEB3 in TGF β 2-induced EMT model with/without Snail-specific siRNA, we concluded that Snail is an element in the EMT of HLEB3 cells induced by TGF β 2. Snail siRNA targeting can block the induced EMT and therefore has the potential to suppress the development of PCO.