bFGF Activates Integrin β1 and Subsequently Upregulates Collagens via the p-MEK1/2/p-ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway in L929 Cells
Abstract The substantial loss of collagen in the supporting tissues of the pelvic floor is characteristic of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). A bFGF-induced collagen increase has been widely recognized by scholars, but the role of bFGF in pelvic floor dysfunction and the mechanism by which bFGF promotes collagen have not been reported. Here, we elucidated this mechanism. After bFGF stimulation, L929 cells showed significantly increased expression of collagen, integrin β1, and MEK1/2 signaling proteins. Our previous studies showed that integrin β1 plays an important role in electric stimulation-induced collagen expression, which suggests an underlying mechanism. By overexpressing and silencing integrin β1, we proved that integrin β1 is also an important signal transduction protein of bFGF that promotes collagen through the MEK1/2 pathway, which is a classic collagen-promoting pathway. In summary, these findings suggest that bFGF can stimulate the expression of collagen through the integrin β1/p-MEK1/2/p-ERK/1/2 signaling pathway in L929 cells. Keyword Pelvic organ prolapse; bFGF; integrinβ1; ERK1/2; Collagen Special project for Chinese women's pelvic floor dysfunction prevention and treatment (no. 201817092) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province(no.2019CFB149).