Study on damage of airway epithelium cell and its mechanism in smoking mice

  Objective   To investigate the changes of morphology and the effect of γ-catenin(γ-cat)in damage of respiratory epithelium in different stage of smoking mice.

  Methods   Observation under microscope after HE staining was used to study the morphological changes of airw ay epithelium of different stages(smoking after 1 month/S1 M, 2 months/S2 M, 4 months/S4M, 5 months/S5M, 6 months/S6M and the control/SC)in smoking mice.The expression of γ-cat was deter mined by immuno chemical stain, that of γ-cat mRNA was estimated by in situ hybridization, the mean A value was deter mined by image analysis of randomly selected 15 thin branch in smoking mice.

  Results   Morphology of airway epithelium in smoking mice changed from injury to repair, proliferation, and over proliferation; the protein and mRNA levels of γ-cat of each stage were significantly lower than those of the control except the protein level of the S5M(P < 0.001);expression of prolifering cell nuclearantigen of air way epithelium cell in smoking mice was higher than that of the control, S2M group was the highest(P < 0.01).

  Conclusion   Smoke inhalation injuried the airway epithelium; γ-cat was wavy changed and functions in the course of the damage and repair of the airway epithelium.