Objective: To investigate effects of smoking on E-cadherin (E-cd) expression of injury and repair of respiratory tract epithelium by observation of dynamic expression of E-cd on epithelial cells of respiratory tract in smoking mice.
Methods: Immunohistochemistry SP technique was used to examine E-cd expression on epithelial cells of respiratory tract in smoking mice of different stages and dosages and the morphological changes observed by light and electron microscopy respectively.
Results: Four and twelve weeks after smoking, the E-cd expression in the epithelial cells was significantly down-regulated compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Morphologically, the intercellular junction was loose, and the epithelial cells were injured and proliferated on the same time. Eight weeks after smoking, however, the E-cd expression was not different from that of the control group (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Smoking is able to cause wavy change of the E-cd expression on the epithelial cells which may play an important role in the injury and repair of the epithelial cell of the respiratory tract.