TGF-β1 regulates invasion and migration of human bladder cancer cells T24 through epithelial mesenchymal transition

Objective: To investigate the role of TGF-β1 on Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and invasion ability in human bladder cancer cell line T24. Methods: After pre-treatment with TGF-β1 of different concentrations for 24 h, we observed the morphological changes of T24 cells under phase-contrast microscopy. The mRNA and protein expression levels of EMT relative marker E-cadherin and Vimentin were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. The effect of TGF-β1 on migration and invasion abilities of T2 cell line was detected with transwell migration and invasion assay. Results: Results demonstrated that TGF-β1 could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition in T24 cells. The mRNA and protein levels of epithelial marker E-cadherin were downregulated by TGF-β1, whereas those of mesenchymal maker protein Vimentin were upregulated. Furthermore, it is noted that TGF-β1 could significantly enhance the migration and invasion ability of T24 cells, which, however, could be effectively reversed by TGF-β1 inhibitor LY2109761. Conclusion: TGF-β1 can enhance migration and invasion ability of T24 cells by inducing epithelial mesenchymal transition.