目的:观察慢性缺氧对大鼠颈动脉体(carotid body,CB)中Wnt-1和β-catenin蛋白表达量的影响。方法:雄性SD大鼠40只,随机分为5组:正常氧组、慢性低压性缺氧1周、2周、3周和4周组。处理后,立即取出大鼠双侧CB,提取总蛋白,用western blot法检测各组大鼠CB中Wnt-1和β-catenin表达量。结果:缺氧3周组和缺氧4周组之间Wnt-1的表达量无明显区别(P>0.05),而其余各组之间Wnt-1的表达量均具有统计学差异(P<0.05);相对于正常氧组,缺氧3周组大鼠CB中β-catenin的含量明显增加,有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:本研究提示Wnt/β-catenin信号通路可能参与了慢性缺氧引起的颈动脉体干细胞增殖分化的过程。 Objective: To observe the effects of chronic hypoxia on the expression of Wnt-1 and β-catenin in the carotid body (CB) of rats. Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normoxia group, chronic hypobaric hypoxia for 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 4 weeks. After treatment, both sides of rat CB were removed immediately to extract the total protein, western blot was used to detect the expression of Wnt-1 and β-catenin in CB of each group. Results: The expression of Wnt-1 was not significantly different between the 3-week hypoxia group and the 4-week hypoxia group (P> 0.05), while the expression of Wnt-1 was also significantly different between the other groups (P < 0.05). Compared with normal oxygen group, the content of β-catenin in CB of hypoxia 3 weeks group increased obviously, with statistical significance (P <0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that Wnt / β-catenin signaling pathway may be involved in the process of proliferation and differentiation of carotid body stem cells induced by chronic hypoxia.