2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a well-known environmental teratogenic effector for cleft palate. Transforming growth factor 3 (
TGF-β3
) is an essential growth factor for palatogenesis. The objective of this study is to clarify the effects of TCDD and
TGF-β3
in mouse embryonic palatal mesenchymal (MEPM) cells. The effects of 10 nM TCDD, 10 ng/mL
TGF-β3
, or a combination of 10 nM TCDD and 10 ng/mL
TGF-β3
on MEPM cells were revealed by cell and biological methods. With the increase in TCDD (0.5-10 nM), the expression of
TGF-β3
increased, but at TCDD concentrations greater than 10 nM, the expression of
TGF-β3
reduced. The viabilities of MEPM cells decreased in the 10 nM TCDD-treated group. But the viabilities increased in the 10 ng/mL
TGF-β3
-treated group, and the viabilities were intermediate in the group treated with a combination of 10 nM TCDD and 10 ng/mL
TGF-β3
. This phenomenon was the same as that of the motilities. In addition, we found that the expression of p-Smad2, p-Smad3,and Smad7 were increased by TCDD,
TGF-β3
, combination of TCDD and
TGF-β3
, but the expression of Smad4 were decreased by TCDD,
TGF-β3
, combination of TCDD and
TGF-β3
. These data revealed that TCDD and
TGF-β3
interacted and affected MEPM cells.