Objective   To investigate the inhibitory effects of overexpression of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) on the trans-differentiation of hypertrophic scar fibroblast induced by TGF-β1

and the signaling transduction mechanism.    Methods   Hypertrophic scar fibroblasts were transfected with GFP-PTEN via adenovirus. The cells were divided into 6 groups

normal group

Ad-PTEN group

Ad-Laz group

TGF-β1 stimulation group (10 ng/ml)

Ad-PTEN +TGF-β1 group

and empty vector +TGF-β1 group. The efficiency of transfection was detected by fluorescence microscopy. The expression of PTEN protein and mRNA in the transfected cells was detected by Western blot analysis and RT-PCR respectively. The expressions of α-SMA

Akt and p-Akt were detected by Western blot analysis.    Results   Most cells transfected with Ad-PTEN expressed GFP. The expression of PTEN protein and mRNA were strongly increased when the cells were transfected with Ad-PTEN (all P0.05). In Ad-PTEN group

the expression levels of p-Akt and α-SMA were lower than those in normal group and Ad-Laz group(P0.05). In TGF-β1 group

the expression levels of α-SMA and p-Akt were higher than those in normal group

Ad-PTEN group and PTEN+TGF-β1 group (P0.01). The expression levels of p-Akt and α-SMA had no diversity in normal group and Ad-Laz group (P0.05)

and in Ad-Laz+TGF-β1group and TGF-β1 group  (P0.05). The expression of Akt was similar in the 6 groups.    Conclusion   TGF-β1 can promote the expression of α-SMA by activating the PI3K/Akt signal pathway. PTEN inhibits the trans-differentiation of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts induced by TGF-β1 through suppressing the activation of PI3K/Akt signal pathway.