Fig. 6.

Metformin suppresses the SiO₂-induced EMT process in lung epithelial cells. A The protein levels of Fibronectin, E-cadherin, vimentin and α-SMA in different doses of silica treatment in A549 and HBE cells. B Western blotting showing Fibronectin, E-cadherin, vimentin and α-SMA protein levels with silica and metformin co-treatment in A549 and HBE cells. C, D qRT-PCR detection of E-cadherin, vimentin (C) and TGF-β1 (D) mRNA expression in A549 cells after being cultured with silica and different doses of metformin. With **p < 0.01 vs. control and ^#p < 0.05 vs. the silica group. E Wound-healing assay and quantified wound gap of cell scratches detected the migration of A549 cells for the indicated groups, with *p < 0.05 vs. the silica group