Silencing Relieves Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Pulmonary Fibrosis by Inhibiting the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive and lethal disease with poor prognosis. plays an important role in the progression of cancer. However, the role of in PF has not yet been reported. In this study, we explored the potential role of in PF and its potential molecular mechanisms. Increased expression of was first observed in lung tissues of PF patients. We found that downregulation of inhibited the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in A549 cells. Mechanically, TGF-β1 upregulated β-catenin and the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β, which was blocked by silencing . Furthermore, lithium chloride (activator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway) effectively rescued knockdown-mediated inhibition of EMT in PF. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that downregulation of alleviated PF through inhibiting EMT. is a promising potential target for further understanding the mechanism and developing a strategy for the treatment of PF and other EMT-associated diseases.