AIM: To investigate the effect of bevacizumab treatment on Notch signaling and the induction of epithelial-of-mesenchymal transition(EMT) in human retinal pigment epithelial cells(ARPE-19) in vitro.METHODS: In vitro cultivated ARPE-19 cells were treated with 0.25 mg/m L bevacizumab for 12, 24, and 48 h.Cell morphology changes were observed under an inverted microscope. The expression of zonula occludens-1(ZO-1), vimentin and Notch-1 intracellular domain(NICD) was examined by immunofluorescence.The m RNA levels of ZO-1, α-SMA, Notch-1, Notch-2,Notch-4, Dll4, Jagged-1, RBP-Jk and Hes-1 expression were evaluated with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR). The protein levels of α-SMA,NICD, Hes-1 and Dll-4 expression were examined with Western blot.RESULTS: Bevacizumab stimulation increased the expression of α-SMA and vimentin in ARPE-19 cells which changed into spindle-shaped fibroblast-like cells.Meanwhile, the m RNA expression of Hes-1 increased and the protein expression of Hes-1 and NICD also increased, which Notch signaling was activated. The m RNA expression of Notch-1, Jagged-1 and RBP-Jk increased at 48 h, and while Dll4 m RNA and protein expression did not change after bevacizumab treatment.CONCLUSION: Jagged-1/Notch-1 signaling may play a critical role in bevacizumab-induced EMT in ARPE-19 cells, which provides a novel insight into the pathogenesis of intravitreal bevacizumab-associated complication.
展开▼
