Levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 in gastric cancer

AIM:To evaluate the levels of preoperative serum matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in gastric cancer.METHODS:One hundred gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled in this study.The serum concentrations of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in these patients and in fifty healthy controls were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS:Higher serum MMP-1 and TIMP-1 levels were observed in patients than in controls (P < 0.001).Serum MMP-1 and TIMP-1 levels were positively associated with morphological appearance,tumor size,depth of wall invasion,lymph node metastasis,liver metastasis,perineural invasion,and pathological stage.They were not significantly associated with age,gender,tumor location,or histological type.CONCLUSION:Increased MMP-1 and TIMP-1 were associated with gastric cancer.Although these markers are not good markers for diagnosis,these markers show in advanced gastric cancer.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in ulcerative colitis

AIM: To examine the expression of metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in the colonic mucosa of patients with ulcer- ative colitis (UC). METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain re- action (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to study the expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 at both mRNA and protein levels in patients with UC and con- trols. The relationship between MMP-1 mRNA, TIMP-1 mRNA, MMP-1 mRNA/TIMP-1 mRNA ratio and the sever- ity of clinical symptoms of the patients with UC were also analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of MMP-1 mRNA and TIMP-1 mRNA in the ulcerated and inflamed colonic mucosa was signifi cantly higher than that in the non-inflamed colonic mucosa (P < 0.001), but there was no statistically signif i- cant difference in the non-inflamed colonic mucosa of UC patients and normal controls (P > 0.05). The mRNA ex- pression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in ulcerated colonic mu- cosa of UC patients was increased by 80-fold and 2.2-fold, respectively when compared with the normal controls. In the inflamed colonic mucosa, the increase was 30-fold and 1.6-fold, respectively. Immunohistochemical analy- sis showed that among the ulcerated, inflamed, and non-inflamed colonic mucosae of UC patients and the normal controls, the positive rate of MMP-1 expression was 87%, 87%, 40% and 35% respectively, and the positive rate of TIMP-1 expression was 89%, 89%, 80% and 75%, respectively. Furthermore, the expression of MMP-1 mRNA, TIMP-1 mRNA and the MMP-1 mRNA/ TIMP-1 mRNA ratio were correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms (P <0.05).CONCLUSION: Excessive expression of MMP-1 in the diseased colonic mucosa causes excessive hydrolysis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and ulceration in UC pa-tients. MMP-1 mRNA, TIMP-1 mRNA and MMP-1 mRNA/ TIMP-1 mRNA ratio can be used as biomarkers to judge the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with UC. Exogenous TIMP-1 or MMP-1 inhibitor therapy is a novel treatment for patients with UC.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α in ulcerative colitis

AIM： To examine the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 （MMP-1） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-~~） in the colon mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis （UC）.METHODS： Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the expression of MMP-1 and TNF-α at both mRNA and protein levels in the colon mucosa of patients with UC. Correlation between MMP-1 and TNF-α and their correlation with the severity of the disease were also analyzed statistically.RESULTS： The expression of MMP-1 and TNF-α in the ulcerated and inflamed colon mucosa of patients with UC was significantly higher than that in the non-inflamed mucosa of normal controls at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, the expression of MMP-1 and TNF-α in the ulcerated area was significantly higher than that in the inflamed area of patients with UC （0.9797 ± 0.1433 vs 0.6746 ± 0.0373, 0.8669 ± 0.0746 vs 0.5227 ± 0.0435, P 〈 0.05）. There was no statistically significant difference in the non-inflamed area of normal controls. There was a significant correlation between MMP-1 and TNF-c~ expression （0.9797 ± 0.1433 vs 0.8669 ± 0.0746, P 〈 0.05）, the correlating factor was 0.877. MMP-1 and TNF-α showed a significant correlation with the severity of the disease （0.0915 ：e 0.0044 vs 0.0749 vs 0.0032, 0.0932 ± 0.0019 vs 0.0724 ± 0.0043, P 〈 0.05）, their correlating factors were 0.942 and 0.890, respectively.CONCLUSION： Excessively expressed MMP-1 directly damages the colon mucosa by degrading extracellular matrix （ECM） in patients with UC. While damaging colon mucosa, excessively expressed TNF-α stimulates MMPs secreting cells to produce more MMP-1 and aggravates the mucosa damage. MMP-1 promotes secretion of TNF-α in a positive feedback manner to cause further injury in the colon mucosa. MMP-1 and TNF-α correlate well with the severity of the disease, and therefore, can be used clinically as biological markers to judge the severity of UC.

Plasma matrix metalloproteinase-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 as biomarkers of ulcerative colitis activity

AIM:Overexpression of mucosal metalloproteinases(MMP) has been demonstrated recently in inflammatory bowel disease.Their activity can be counterbalanced by the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases(TIMP).The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ulcerative colitis(UC)on MMP- 1 and TIMP-1 plasma concentrations,as two possible biomarkers of the disease activity. METHODS:MMP-1 and TIMP-1 plasma concentrations were measured with an enzyme immunoassay in 16 patients with endoscopically confirmed active UC. RESULTS:Plasma concentrations of both MMP-1(13.7±0.2 ng/ml)and TIMP-1(799±140 ng/ml)were significantly elevated in UC patients in comparison to healthy controls (11.9±0.9 ng/ml and 220±7 ng/ml respectively).There was no correlation between TIMP-1 and MMP-1 concentrations (r=0.02).TIMP-1 levels revealed significant positive correlations with scored endoscopic degree of mucosal injury, disease activity index and clinical activity index values as well as C-reactive protein concentration.There was no correlation between MMP-1 and laboratory,clinical or endoscopic indices of the disease activity.CONCLUSION: These results confirm the role of both MMP- 1 and TIMP-1 in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. However only TIMP-1 can be useful as a biomarker of the disease activity, demonstrating association with clinical and endoscopic pictures.

Macrophage-derived matrix metalloproteinase-1 enhances aortic aneurysm formation in transgenic rabbits

Increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP-1)has been observed in the lesions of atherosclerosis and aneurysms;however,it is not fully understood whether macrophage-derived MMP-1 affects these diseases.To investigate whether macrophage-derived MMP-1 participates in the development of vascular diseases,we generated transgenic(Tg)rabbits expressing human MMP-1 in the monocyte/macrophage lineage under the control of the human scavenger receptor enhancer/promoter.Tg rabbits exhibited no visible abnormalities throughout their bodies.Western blotting analysis revealed that the amount of MMP-1 proteins in the conditioned media secreted from peritoneal macrophages of Tg rabbits was up to 3-fold higher than that in non-Tg rabbits.For the first experiment,Tg and non-Tg rabbits were fed a cholesterol diet for 16 weeks,and aortic and coronary atherosclerosis were evaluated.The gross lesion area of aortic atherosclerosis in Tg rabbits was not significantly different from that in non-Tg rabbits,but Tg rabbits had marked destruction of the medial elastic lamina of the aortic lesions on microscopic examination.For the second experiment,we generated aortic aneurysms by incubating with elastase.Compared with non-Tg rabbits,Tg rabbits exhibited a significantly greater aortic dilation.Increased macrophage-derived MMP-1 led to increased medial destruction in both aortic atherosclerosis and aneurysms.These results demonstrate that MMP-1 plays a different role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and aneurysms.

Interleukin-1 beta up-regulates tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 mRNA and phosphorylation of c-jun N-terminal kinase and p38 in hepatic stellate cells

AIM： To study the relationship between interleukin-lbeta （IL-1β） up-regulating tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 （TIMMP-1） mRNA expression and phosphorylation of both c-jun N-terminal kinase （INK） and p38 in rat heffatic stellate cells （HSC）. METHODS： RT-PCR was performed to measure the expression of TIMMP-1 mRNA in rat HSC. Western blot was performed to measure IL-1β-induced JNK and p38 activities in rat HSC. RESULTS： TIMMP-1 mRNA expression （1.191± 0.079） was much higher after treatment with IL-1β （10 ng/mL） for 24 h than in control group （0.545±0.091） （P〈0.01）. IL-1β activated INK and p38 in a time-dependent manner. After stimulation with IL-1β for 0, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min, the INK activity was 0.982±0.299, 1.501±0.720, 2.133±0.882, 3.360±0.452, 2.181±0.789, and 1.385 ± 0.368, respectively. There was a significant difference in JNK activity at 15 min （P〈 0.01）, 30 min （P〈 0.01） and 60 min （P〈0.01） in comparison to that at 0 min. The p38 activity was 1.061±0.310, 2.050±0.863, 2.380±0.573, 2.973±0.953, 2.421±0.793, and 1.755 ± 0.433 at the 6 time points （0, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min） respectively. There was a significant difference in p38 activity at 5 min （P〈0.05）, 15 min （P〈0.01）, 30 min （P〈0.01） and 60 min （P〈0.01） compared to that at 0 min. TIMMP-1 mRNA expression trended to decrease in 3 groups pretreated with different concentrations of SP600125 （10 μmol/L, 1.022±0.113; 20 μmol/L, 0.869±0.070; 40 μmol/L, 0.666±0.123）. Their decreases were all significant （P〈0.05, P〈0.01, P〈0.01） in comparison to control group （without SP600125 treatment, 1.163±0.107）. In the other 3 groups pretreated with different concentrations of SB203580 （10 μmol/L, 1.507±0.099; 20 μmol/L, 1.698±0.107; 40 μmol/L, 1.857±0.054）, the expression of TIMMP-1 mRNA increased. Their levels were higher than those in the control group （without SB203580 treatment, 1.027 ± 0.061） with a significant statistical significance （P〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： IL-1β has a direct action on hepatic fibrosis by up-regulating TIMMP-1 mRNA expression in ratessionin in rate HSC.JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases （MAPKs） are involved in IL-1β-induced TIMMP-1 gene expression, and play a distinct role in this process, indicating that p38 and .INK pathways cooperatively mediate TIMP-1 mRNA expression in rat HSC.

A matrix metalloproteinase-responsive hydrogel system controls angiogenic peptide release for repair of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Vascular endothelial growth factor and its mimic peptide KLTWQELYQLKYKGI(QK)are widely used as the most potent angiogenic factors for the treatment of multiple ischemic diseases.However,conventional topical drug delivery often results in a burst release of the drug,leading to transient retention(inefficacy)and undesirable diffusion(toxicity)in vivo.Therefore,a drug delivery system that responds to changes in the microenvironment of tissue regeneration and controls vascular endothelial growth factor release is crucial to improve the treatment of ischemic stroke.Matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2)is gradually upregulated after cerebral ischemia.Herein,vascular endothelial growth factor mimic peptide QK was self-assembled with MMP-2-cleaved peptide PLGLAG(TIMP)and customizable peptide amphiphilic(PA)molecules to construct nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK.PA-TIMP-QK was found to control the delivery of QK by MMP-2 upregulation after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and had a similar biological activity with vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro.The results indicated that PA-TIMP-QK promoted neuronal survival,restored local blood circulation,reduced blood-brain barrier permeability,and restored motor function.These findings suggest that the self-assembling nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK may provide an intelligent drug delivery system that responds to the microenvironment and promotes regeneration and repair after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Long noncoding RNAs HAND2-AS1 ultrasound microbubbles suppress hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the miR-873-5p/tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 axis

BACKGROUND Increasing data indicated that long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)were directly or indirectly involved in the occurrence and development of tumors,including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Recent studies had found that the expression of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 was downregulated in HCC tissues,but its role in HCC progression is unclear.Ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction mediated gene transfection is a new method to overexpress genes.AIM To study the role of ultrasound microbubbles(UTMBs)mediated HAND2-AS1 in the progression of HCC,in order to provide a new reference for the treatment of HCC.METHODS In vitro,we transfected HAND2-AS1 siRNA into HepG2 cells by UTMBs,and detected cell proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)by cell counting kit-8 assay,flow cytometry,Transwell invasion assay and Western blotting,respectively.In addition,we transfected miR-837-5p mimic into UTMBs treated cells and observed the changes of cell behavior.Next,the UTMBs treated HepG2 cells were transfected together with miR-837-5p mimic and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2(TIMP2)overexpression vector,and we detected cell proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and EMT.In vivo,we established a mouse model of subcutaneous transplantation of HepG2 cells and observed the effect of HAND2-AS1 silencing on tumor formation ability.RESULTS We found that UTMBs carrying HAND2-AS1 restricted cell proliferation,invasion,and EMT,encouraged apoptosis,and HAND2-AS1 silencing eliminated the effect of UTMBs.Additionally,miR-873-5p targets the gene HAND2-AS1,which also targets the 3’UTR of TIMP2.And miR-873-5p mimic counteracted the impact of HAND2-AS1.Further,miR-873-5p mimic solely or in combination with pcDNA-TIMP2 had been transformed into HepG2 cells exposed to UTMBs.We discovered that TIMP2 reversed the effect of miR-873-5p mimic caused by the blocked signalling cascade for matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)2/MMP9.In vivo results showed that HAND2-AS1 silencing significantly inhibited tumor formation in mice.CONCLUSION LncRNA HAND2-AS1 promotes TIMP2 expression by targeting miR-873-5p to inhibit HepG2 cell growth and delay HCC progression.

Duodenal-jejunal bypass surgery on type 2 diabetic rats reduces the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in the thoracic aorta

Background Bariatric surgery offers a productive resolution of type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）.The development of T2DM vasculopathy is due to chronic inflammation,which increases matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 （TIMP-1） expression.This study sought to examine MMP-9 and TIMP-1 expression in the thoracic aorta after duodenal-jejunal bypass （DJB） surgery on a T2DM rat model induced by a high-fat diet and low dose streptozotocin （STZ）.Methods Twenty-one T2DM Wistar rats induced by high-fat diet and low dose STZ were randomly divided into DJB and sham duodenal-jejunal bypass （S-DJB） groups.Ten Wistar rats were fed a normal diet as a control.Recovery of gastrointestinal function post-operation and resumption of a normal diet completed the experiment.Body weight,blood glucose,blood lipid levels,and MMP-9 and TIMP-1 expression levels in aortic endothelial cells were measured throughout.Results DJB rats showed significant weight loss 2 weeks post-operation compared with S-DJB rats.After surgery,DJB rats showed significant improvement and steady glycemic control with improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.They also exhibited improved lipid metabolism with a decrease in fasting free fatty acids （FFAs） and triglycerides （all P ＜0.05）.Immunohistochemistry showed decreased MMP-9 and TIMP-1 expression 12 weeks after surgery （P ＜ 0.01）.Conclusions DJB surgery on an induced T2DM rat model improves blood glucose levels and lipids,following a high-fat diet and low dose STZ treatment.In addition,DJB decreased MMP-9 and TIMP-1 expression in vascular endothelial cells,which may play an important role in delaying the development of T2DM vascular disease.

Role of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1(MMP-1)/Protease-activated Receptor-1(PAR-1) Signaling Pathway in the Cervical Cancer Invasion

Objective To investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinase-1 （MMP-1）/protease- activated receptor-1 （PAR-l） signaling in the cervical cancer invasion. Methods RT-PCR was used to test the mRNA level of MMP-1 in 59 cases of cervical squamous cell cancer. Cell invasion was evaluated by Transwell assay to explore the effect of adding human recombinant MMP-1 （rhMMP-1） and PARI-siRNA on cervical cancer invasion. Results In cervical cancer tissues, more MMP-1 expression was observed than that in the normal cervical tissues, and its expression correlated with cancer status. Human recombinant MMP-1 （rhMMP-1） could promote Hela cell invasion, and its number of invasive cell correlated with the concentration of rhMMP-1. Disrupting the expression of PAR-1 reduced the MMP-1 promoting-effect on Hela cell invasion, but had no effect on non-MMP-1 invasive action. Conclusion The MMP-1/PAR-1 signaling pathway is involved in cervical cancer invasion. Therefore, blocking PAR-1 may represent a new therapeutic option for metastatic cervical cancer.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 expression in early focal cerebral infarction following urokinase thrombolysis in rats

Activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 increases following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, and is associated with cerebral microvascular permeability, blood-brain barrier destruction, inflammatory cell infiltration and brain edema. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 also likely participates in thrombolysis. A rat model of middle cerebral artery infarction was established by injecting autologous blood clots into the internal carotid artery. At 3 hours following model induction, urokinase was injected into the caudal vein. Decreased neurological severity score, reduced infarct volume, and increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 were observed in the cerebral cortex 24 hours after urokinase thrombolysis. These results suggest that urokinase can suppress damage in the acute-early stage of cerebral infarction.

Madecassoside impedes invasion of rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocyte from adjuvant arthritis rats via inhibition of NF-κB-mediated matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes(FLS) play a pivotal role in Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) pathogenesis through aggressive migration and invasion. Madecassoside(Madec), a triterpenoid saponin present in Centella asiatica herbs, has a potent anti-inflammatory effect. In the present study, Madec exerted an obvious therapeutic effect in reversing the histological lesions in adjuvant-induced arthritis(AIA) rats. To recognize the anti-rheumatoid potentials of Madec, we further investigated whether Madec interfered with FLS invasion and metalloproteinase(MMP) expression. In cultures of primary FLS isolated from the AIA rats, Madec(10 and 30 μmol·L–1) was proven to considerably inhibit migration and invasion of FLS induced by interleukin 1β(IL-1β), but exhibiting no obvious effect on cell proliferation. Madec repressed IL-1β-triggered FLS invasion by prohibiting the expression of MMP-13. Additionally, Madec suppressed MMP-13 transcription via inhibiting the MMP-13 promoter-binding activity of NF-κB. Our results further showed that Madec down-regulated the translocation and phosphorylation of NF-κB as demonstrated by Western blotting and immunofluorescence assays. In conclusion, our results suggest that Madec exerts anti-RA activity via inhibiting the NF-κB/MMP-13 pathway.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9-1562C>T polymorphism may increase the risk of lymphatic metastasis of colorectal cancer

AIM. To explore the role of the matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） polymorphism in colorectal cancer （CRC） in a northeast Chinese population.METHODS： Genotyping of MNP-9-1562C〉T and 279R〉Q polymorphisms was carried out on blood samples from 137 colorectal cancer patients and 199 controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP）. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios （OR） and 95% confidence intervals （95% CI）.RESULTS： The distribution of IVllVlP-9 -2562C〉T and 279 R〉Q genotype was not significantly associated with the risk of CRC. However, the risk of Ilymph node metastasis of CRC was increased in patients with the -1562T allele （OR = 2.601; 95% CI = 1.160-5.835; P = 0.022）. The frequency of MMP-9 279RR ＋ RQ genotype was higher than the QQ genotype among CRC patients younger than sixty years old （OR = 0.102, 95% CI = 0.013-0.812; P = 0.012）.CONCLUSION： Our results indicated that the MMP-9- 1562C〉T polymorphism affects lymph node metastasis of CRC. In addition, the MMP-9 279R allele may lead to a younger age of onset of colorectal cancer.

Effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in fibroblasts irradiated with ultraviolet A

Background It is known that ultraviolet irradiation can affect cellular function through a number of signaling pathways ( ) epigallocatechin 3 gallate (EGCG) is the major effective component in green tea and can offer protection from ultraviolet induced damage In this study, we investigated the protective mechanism of EGCG on human dermal fibroblasts damaged by ultraviolet A (UVA) in vitro Methods Transcription factor Jun protein levels were measured by Western blot Matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP 1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP 1) mRNA were studied by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) analysis in conjunction with computer assisted image analysis MMP 1 and TIMP 1 proteins were quantified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) Results EGCG decreased transcription activity of Jun protein after induction by UVA Both the mRNA and protein levels of MMP 1 were increased by UVA irradiation, while no significant changes were observed in TIMP 1 levels The ratio of MMP 1 to TIMP 1 showed statistically significant differences compared with the control EGCG decreased the ratio of MMP 1 to TIMP 1 by inhibiting UVA induced MMP 1 expression ( P <0 05) Conclusion EGCG can protect human fibroblasts against UVA damage by downregulating the transcription activity of Jun protein and the expression of MMP 1 The ratio of MMP 1 to TIMP 1, rather than the levels of MMP 1 or TIMP 1 alone, may play a significant role in human skin photodamage

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in hepatic stellate cells during rat hepatic fibrosis and its intervention by IL-10

AIM: To investigate the expression of matrix metallopr-oteinase-2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in hepatic fibrosis and the antifibrogenic role of exogenous interleukin-10 (IL-10). METHODS: Hepatic fibrosis was induced by CCI4 administration and 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group (group N, 8 rats), CCI4-induced group (group C, 28 rats) and IL-10-treated group (group I, 24 rats). At the beginning of the 7th and 11th wk, rats in each group were routinely perfused with pronase E and type IV collagenase through portal vein catheter and the suspension was centrifuged by 11% Nycodenz density gradient to isolate hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). RT-PCR was used to analyze mRNA of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 from freshly isolated cells. Densitometric data were standardized with β-actin signals. Immunocytochemistry was performed to detect MMP-2 and TIMP-1 expression in HSC cultured for 72 h. RESULTS: Compared to group N in the 7th wk, MMP-2 and TIMP-1 mRNA increased in group C (P= 0.001/0.001) and group I (P= 0.001/0.009). The level of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 mRNA in group I was significantly lower than that in group C (P= 0.001/0.001). In the 11th wk, MMP-2 mRNA in group I was still lower than that in group C (P = 0.005), but both dropped compared with that in the 7th week (P = 0.001/0.004). TIMP-1 mRNA in group I was still lower than that in group C (P= 0.001), and increased in group C (P= 0.001) while decreased in group I (P = 0.042) compared with that in the 7th wk. Same results were found by immunocytochemistry. CONCLUSION: Expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-1 is increased in hepatic fibrosis. IL-10 exhibits an antifibrogenic effect by suppressing MMP-2 and TIMP-1 expression.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of systemic lupus erythematosus patients and its relationship with atherosclerosis

Background Matrix metalloproteinase-1 （MMP-1） plays an important role in atherosclerosis. This study was to examine expression of MMP-1 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMCs） of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus （SLE）, and to explore its relationship with atherosclerosis in SLE. Methods Fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） was used to examine the expression of MMP-1 mRNA in PBMCs in 80 SLE patients, including 39 prone to atherosclerosis （Group A） and 41 unprone to atherosclerosis （Group B）. Meanwhile, 30 patients who were free of cardiovascular diseases and 30 healthy individuals were selected as disease and normal control group （Groups C and D）. The changes of MMP-1 gene expression were analyzed by differences of cycle threshold （ACt）, with the following formula： ACt = Cttarget gene - Ctreference gene. Results The expression level of MMP-1 mRNA in Group A was significantly higher than that of group B （ACt=8.64±2.43 vs ACt=12.09±2.26, t=6.588, P 〈0.01）. The expression level of MMP-1 mRNA of SLE patients was significantly higher than that of Group C （ACt=10.41±2.90 vs ACt=12.29±2.51, t=3.135, P 〈0.01） and Group D （ACt=10.41±2.90 vs ACt=12.48±1.69, t=3.675, P 〈0.01）. Conclusions In comparison to disease and control group, expression of MMP-1 mRNA in PBMCs of SLE patients was significantly elevated, and significant difference of MMP-1 mRNA expression was also found between SLE patients prone and unprone to atherosclerosis, indicating that expression of MMP-1 mRNA may be correlated with the pathogenesis and activity of atherosclerosis in SLE.

Expression of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in aging of transgenic mouse liver

Background Tissue inhibitor of matrix metaUoproteinase-1 （TIMP-1） is related to the aging of many organs, but few data are available on the change of TIMP-1 in liver aging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression and role of TIMP-1, matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2） and MMP-9 in the process of natural aging in the livers of normal and transgenic mice, and to detect the effects of TIMP-1 on oxidative level and anti-oxidative ability of the livers of transgenic young mice. Methods Normal and transgenic mice were divided into 3 groups according to their age： 3-month-old group （n=5）, 12-month-old group （n=5） and 24-month-old group （n=5）. Histopathological changes of the liver were observed after HE and Masson staining. The messenger RNA （mRNA） levels of TIMP-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptional polymerase chain reaction; protein expression was measured by Western blot in the livers of normal and transgenic mice of various ages. Changes in levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, monoamine oxidase （MAO）, malondialdehyde （MDA） as well as oxidative and anti-oxidative ability were measured. Results Histologically, more fatty degeneration and collagen deposition were found in the aging livers of transgenic mice than in those of the normal mice as their age of months increased. The mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-1 were significantly high in the oldest animals. The histopathological changes, mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-1 increased significantly in the liver of transgenic mice as compared with normal mice. The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 showed a minor change in the process of aging. Liver change and collagen deposition were not observed in young mice, but the activity of SOD decreased （P〈0.05）, and the activity of MAO （P〈0.01） and the content of MDA increased in the liver of transgenic mice （P〈0.01）. Conclusions The expression of TIMP-1 is significantly high in the liver of transgenic mouse in the process of aging, indicating that the oxidative level increases and the anti-oxidative ability decreases in the liver of transgenic mouse. TIMP-1 plays an important role in the process of liver aging.

Methanol extract of Codium fragile inhibits tumor necrosis factor-ɑ-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 and invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 cells by suppressing nuclear factor-κB activation

Objective:To evaluate whether the methanol extract of Codium fragile(MECF) regulates tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)-induced invasion of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9).Methods:Reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and western blot analysis were performed to analyze the expression of MMP-9 and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) subunits,p65 and p50,and IκB in MDA-MB-231 cells.3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay was used for cell viability.MMP-9 activity and invasion were measured by gelatin zymography and a matrigel invasion assay,respectively.NF- κB activity was measured by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay and luciferase activity.Results:MECF had no effects on cell viability up to a concentration of 100 μg/mL in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells regardless of the presence of TNF-α.MDA-MB-231 cells that were stimulated with TNF-α showed a marked increase of invasion compared to the untreated control,whereas pretreatment with MECF downregulated the TNF-α-induced invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells.Additionally,zymography,western blot analysis,and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) confirmed that MECF decreased TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression and activity which is a key regulator for cancer invasion.According to an electrophoretic morbidity shift assay,pretreatment with MECF in MDA-MB-231 cells significantly decreased the TNF-α-induced DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor- κB(NF- κB),which is an important transcription factor for regulating cancer invasion-related genes such as MMP-9.Furthermore,treatment with MECF sustained the expression of p65 and p50 in response to TNF-α in the cytosolic compartment.The luciferase assay demonstrated that MECF attenuated TNF-α-induced NF- κB luciferase activity.Conclusion:MECF exhibited its antiinvasive capability by downregulating TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression,resulting from the suppression of NF- κB activity in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.

Salvia miltiorrhiza-asarum ointment combined with Chinese medical massage alleviates symptoms of osteoarthritis in a rat model through the Notch1/matrix metalloproteinase-13 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE:This study investigated the effect of salvia miltiorrhiza-asarum ointment(SMAO)plus Chinese medical massage on knee osteoarthritis in a rat model.METHODS:Hulth's method was used to establish a Sprague-Dawley rat model of knee osteoarthritis(OA).The levels of matrix metalloproteinase-13(MMP-13),collagen-Ⅱ,aggrecan,interleukin(IL)-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.The joint space was assessed by a Perlove X-ray system.Histopathology was examined by hematoxylin-eosin and Safranin O staining.The mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch1,MMP-13,collagen-Ⅱ,and aggrecan were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting,respectively.RESULTS:SMAO plus Chinese medical massage significantly decreased the levels of MMP-13,IL-1β,TNF-α,and IL-6,and increased serum collagen-Ⅱ and aggrecan levels.Pathological injury of the knee joint was improved by SMAO treatment.mRNA and protein expression of Notch1 and MMP-13 was remarkably downregulated,but collagen-Ⅱ and aggrecan levels were significantly upregulated in cartilage tissues.CONCLUSION:SMAO combined with Chinese medical massage effectively relieves OA symptoms,which may involve inhibiting inflammation through the Notch1/MMP-13 signaling pathway.

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 expression affects clinicopathological features and prognosis of aflatoxin B1-related hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND The dysregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3(TIMP3)was positively correlated with the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,it is not clear whether TIMP3 expression is associated with the clinico-pathological features and prognosis of aflatoxin B1(AFB1)-related HCC(AHCC).A retrospective study,including 182 patients with AHCC,was conducted to explore the link between TIMP3 expression in cancerous tissues and the clinico-pathological characteristics and prognosis of AHCC.TIMP3 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and its effects on the clinicopathological features and prognosis of AHCC were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression survival analysis.Odds ratio,hazard ratio(HR),median overall survival time(MST),median tumor recurrence-free survival time(MRT),and corresponding 95%confidential interval(CI)was calculated to RESULTS Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that compared with high TIMP3 expression,low TIMP3 expression in tumor tissues significantly decreased the MST(36.00 mo vs 18.00 mo)and MRT(32.00 mo vs 16 mo)of patients with AHCC.Multivariate Cox regression survival analysis further proved that decreased expression of TIMP3 increased the risk of death(HR=2.85,95%CI:2.04-4.00)and tumor recurrence(HR=2.26,95%CI:1.57-3.26).Furthermore,decreased expression of TIMP3 protein in tissues with AHCC was significantly correlated with tumor clinicopatho-logical features,such as tumor size,tumor grade and stage,tumor microvessel density,and tumor blood invasion.Additionally,TIMP3 protein expression was also negatively associated with amount of AFB1-DNA adducts in tumor tissues.CONCLUSION These findings indicate that the dysregulation of TIMP3 expression is related to AHCC biological behaviors and affects tumor outcome,suggesting that TIMP3 may act as a prognostic biomarker for AHCC.