Regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression in cutis laxa fibroblasts: upregulation of MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-9 genes but not of the MMP-2 gene

✍ Scribed by Hatamochi; Kuroda; Shinkai; Kohma; Oishi; Inoue

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 417 KB
• Volume: 138
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-0963
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1998.02210.x

✦ Synopsis

A major histopathological abnormality in cutis laxa (CL) is a paucity of elastic structures. The aim of this study was to investigate the gene expression levels of the major matrix degrading factors matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1, MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9 in CL. The gene expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9 in cultured CL fibroblasts were measured by northern blot, immunoblot and gelatin zymographic analysis. Markedly increased mRNA levels of MMP-1 (8.4-fold), MMP-3 (7.2-fold) and MMP-9 (more than 10-fold) were found in CL fibroblasts, whereas MMP-2 mRNA levels in these fibroblasts were unaltered. Increased protein production levels of MMP-1 (4.6-fold) and MMP-3 (5.1-fold) in CL fibroblasts were shown by immunoblot analysis. On gelatin zymographic analysis, the gelatinolytic activities of MMP-9 but not of MMP-2 were increased (2.2-fold). These results suggest that increased gene expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-9 in CL fibroblasts may contribute to the histopathological abnormality in CL.