Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may contribute to cervical cancer pathogenesis via upregulation of Twist

The Wnt signaling pathway regulates a number of biological processes. In the present study, the association between the Wnt signaling pathway and the pathogenesis of cervical cancer was investigated in the human cervical cancer CaSki cell line. An MTT assay was used to screen various concentrations of lithium chloride for use in subsequent experiments. Following incubation of CaSki cells with 0.05 and 0.1 mol/l lithium chloride, Twist and beta-catenin were markedly upregulated at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, compared with the untreated group, as measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The results of the present study indicate that Wnt activation (which was induced by lithium chloride) and the subsequent upregulation of Twist may represent one of the molecular mechanisms underlying the occurrence and development of cervical cancer.