Notably, high expression of TGFβ1 and phosphorylation of SMAD2/3 in the rat pulmonary hypertension model were reversed by eIF3a knockdown, and the expression of these proteins was also significantly greater in the AAV1-shRNA-NC group than in the control group (Fig. 8A, B). This evidence concerns the gene SMAD2 and pulmonary hypertension.