Objective      To determine the effect of  β-catenin gene shRNA on the epithelial mesenchymal transition in the human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HKCs) induced by TGF-β1.       Methods      shRNA-β-catenin vector was constructed and then transfect into HKC cells induced by TGF-β1. RT-PCR and Wes

tern blot analysis were used to detect mRNA and protein expression levels of β-catenin to screen the best inhibitory vector. RT-PCR

immunofluorescence

and Western blot analysis were employed to detect mRNA and protein expression levels of renal tubular epithelial cell differentiation-related proteins

α-SMA and E-cadherin.       Results      The recombinant plasmid shRNA-β-catenin was confirmed by digestion and sequencing. After HKC cells were transfected with the plasmid

β-catenin expression at the mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower than the empty vector group (

P

<

0.05). Plasmid shRNA-β-catenin-1 was screened

and transfected in HKC cells.β-catenin expression at the mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower in the cells transfected with shRNA-β-catenin-1 than in the cells with TGF-β1 inducement and the cells transfected with empty vector (

P

<

0.05). In the shRNA-β-catenin-1 group

the amount of nuclear transferred β-catenin was significantly reduced compared with TGF-β1-induced group and the empty vector group (

P

<

0.05)

while E-cadherin mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly increased than the other 2 groups (

P

<

0.05). On the contrast

compared with TGF-β1-induced group and the empty vector group

α-SMA mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly lower in the group (

P

<

0.05).       Conclusion      shRNA-β-catenin vector attenuates epithelial mesenchymal transdifferentiation in human proximal tubular epithelial cells induced by TGF-β1.