MMP/TIMP表达失衡在肾细胞癌中的研究

目的应用组织芯片技术探讨基质金属蛋白酶-2（MMP-2）、基质金属蛋白酶-7（MMP-7）和金属蛋白酶抑制因子-2（TIMP-2）在肾细胞癌中的表达情况及相关性。方法采用免疫组化法（SP法）检测82例肾细胞癌和40例正常对照者中MMP-2、MMP-7和TIMP-2的表达情况。结果 MMP-2在肾细胞癌组中表达阳性率71.9%,高于对照组15.0%,MMP-7在肾细胞癌组中表达阳性率67.1%,高于对照组20.0%,并随组织学分级、淋巴结转移、临床分期增高表达增强（P〈0.05）;TIMP-2在肾细胞癌组中表达阳性率34.1%,略高于对照组30.0%,无统计学意义（P〉0.05）,并随组织学分级、淋巴结转移和临床分期增加表达降低（P〈0.05）;在肾细胞癌组中两两之间呈负相关。结论 MMP-2-7/TIMP-2失衡可能参与了肾细胞癌的发生发展过程,联合表达可用于判断肾细胞癌的恶性程度。     

Calcium pentosan polysulfate and sodium pentosan polysulfate may be used to treat intervertebral disc degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a major health problem world-wide, and several spinal disorders are closely associated with it. Although people have invested a great deal of time and effort, how to prevent and reverse the IDD for the researchers is still a difficult and hot issue. Intervertebral disc belongs to cartilage tissue, and IDD also is the cartilage degeneration disease. A large quantity of studies have shown that Calcium pentosan polysulfate (CaPPS) and sodium pentosan polysulfate (NaPPS) possess chondroprotective activities and play an important role in maintaining cartilage integrity. We reasonably hypothesize that NaPPS and CaPPS may be used to treat IDD. The possible mechanism may include that: (1) the significant effects of NaPPS and CaPPS in improving capillary blood flow could maintain nutritional supply to intervertebral disc, and preserve intervertebral disc tissue against degeneration; (2) CaPPS and NaPPS preserve cartilage integrity, proteoglycan synthesis, and improve cartilage biomechanical properties; (3) as the multifaceted exosite inhibitors of proteinases NaPPS and CaPPS strongly impede the activity and production of proteinases; (4) promotion of the balance between proteinases and TIMPs also may be involved in treating IDD; (5) NaPPS and CaPPS exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects, and then reduce inflammation-induced IDD. If the hypothesis were conformed, the symptoms caused by IDD and its related diseases would be a corresponding alleviation or even disappearance, which could greatly alleviate the suffering of patients from disc degeneration diseases. Certainly, many roles of CaPPS and NaPPS, such as effectiveness, safety and side effects, need to be tested, and further works such as animal model and clinical trial, need to be done to prove this hypothesis.     

Extracellular proteolysis in macrophage migration: losing grip for a breakthrough

Macrophage tissue infiltration is a hallmark of several pathological situations including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and chronic inflammation. Hence, deciphering the mechanisms of macrophage migration across a variety of tissues holds great potential for novel anti-inflammatory therapies. Leukocytes have long been thought to migrate through tissues by using the amoeboid (protease-independent) migration mode; however, recent evidence indicates that macrophages can use either the amoeboid or the mesenchymal (protease-dependent) migration mode depending on the environmental constraints. Proteolytic activity is required for several key processes including cell migration. Paradoxically, the role of proteases in macrophage migration has been poorly studied. Here, by focusing on the best characterized extracellular protease families - MMPs, cathepsins and urokinase-type plasminogen activator - we give an overview of their probable involvement in macrophage migration. These proteases appear to play a role in all of the situations encountered by migrating macrophages, i.e. diapedesis, 2D and 3D migration. Migration of macrophages across tissues seems to proceed through an integrative analysis of numerous environmental clues allowing the cells to adapt their migration mode (amoeboid/mesenchymal) and secrete dedicated proteases to ensure efficient tissue infiltration, as discussed in this review. The role of proteases in macrophage migration is an emerging field of research, which deserves further work to allow a more precise understanding.     

Immunoregulatory effects of α-GalCer in a murine model of autoimmune myocarditis

This study was designed to investigate the role of α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) on experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Balb/c mice were immunized with porcine cardiac myosin to establish the EAM model. All the immunized mice were divided into two groups, the α-GalCer group and the EAM group. α-GalCer or vehicle was given intraperitoneally at the time of immunization. Then α-GalCer or PBS was injected on alternate days for 6 weeks. Myocardial inflammation was evaluated by H & E staining and the expression levels of C/EBPβ and α-SMA were determined by immunohistochemistry. CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ Tregs and iNKT cells were analyzed and sorted by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was performed to detect MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression. Following α-GalCer treatment for 6 weeks, myocardial inflammation improved significantly in the α-GalCer treated group compared to the EAM group. The proportions of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells and NK1.1⁺ iNKT cells were statistically increased in the α-GalCer treated group compared to the EAM and normal control groups. In contrast to the EAM group, α-GalCer treatment significantly increased myocardial MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Expression of C/EBPβ increased significantly in the EAM group compared to the other two groups. In contrast, the expression of α-SMA did not differ significantly among the three groups. This study demonstrated that α-GalCer alleviates EAM. Thus, α-GalCer represents a potential therapeutic target for autoimmune-inflammation mediated cardiac damage. α-GalCer protects EAM through upregulation of the proportion of iNKT and Tregs and increased expression of myocardial MMP-2 and MMP-9.     

Do schizophrenia and bipolar disorders share a common disease susceptibility variant at the MMP3 gene?

There is growing evidence of partial etiological overlap between schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar I disorder (BD-I) from linkage analysis, genetic epidemiology and molecular genetics studies. SZ and BD-I are neurodevelopmental disorders with genetic and environmental etiologies. Recent studies have demonstrated that matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) is a key event in associative memory formation, learning and synaptic plasticity, which are important in psychiatric disorders. In the light of these findings, we analyzed the genetic variations in the MMP3-1171 5A/6A in patients with SZ, patients with BD-I and healthy controls. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report an association of variation in gene encoding MMP3 with SZ. Our study group consisted of 111 unrelated patients with SZ, 141 unrelated patients with BD-I, and 121 unrelated healthy controls. The frequencies of 6A6A genotype and 6A allele distributions of MMP3 in patients with SZ were significantly decreased when compared with controls. In contrast, in patients with SZ, the distributions of 5A5A genotype and 5A allele of MMP3 gene were significantly increased as compared with healthy controls. When the frequencies of genotypes or alleles in schizophrenic patients and bipolar patients were compared, 6A6A genotype and 6A allele in patients with BD-I were significantly higher than patients with SZ. In contrast, 5A5A genotype and 5A allele distributions of MMP3 gene were significantly frequent in patients with SZ. On the other hand, no significant differences were found in the allele or genotype distribution in patients with BD-I compared with controls. In conclusion, our data have supported the hypothesis that there is a possible relationship between − 1171 5A/6A polymorphism of MMP3 gene and SZ. A larger sample group is needed to confirm the potential role of this gene in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.     

Telopeptides of type II collagen upregulate proteinases and damage cartilage but are less effective than highly active fibronectin fragments

Objective and Design:  We hypothesize that N-telopeptide (NT) and C-telopeptides (CT) of type II collagen can enhance proteinases and cause cartilage damage and have compared damaging activities to an extensively characterized potent fibronectin fragment (Fn-f). Materials:  NT and CT peptides were synthesized. Methods:  Interaction of labeled peptides with chondrocytes was studied by fluorescence microscopy. Effects on the metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP-3 and MMP-13 and on ADAMTS-5 were analyzed by western blotting. Cartilage damage was assayed by loss of proteoglycan (PG) from cultured explants. Results:  NT and CT peptides penetrated cartilage, bound to chondrocytes and enhanced proteinase release and cartilage PG depletion. Peptides had detectable activity at 0.3 μM (1 μg/ml) and were comparable at 30 μM (100 μg/ml) to 1 μM Fn-f (29 μg/ml). However, while the Fn-f enhanced IL-1β and TNF-α, the NT and CT peptides did not. Conclusions:  Collagen peptides containing NT and CT regions were less active on a molar basis than Fn-fs but were still potent damaging agents. Since collagen fragments are found in OA cartilage at μg/ml, they have the potential to play a role in physiologic cartilage damage. Received 7 May 2008; returned for revision 9 June 2008; received from final revision 8 July 2008; accepted by J. A. Battista 31 July 2008     

基质金属蛋白酶血清含量与膀胱移行细胞癌浸润转移的关系

目的探讨基质金属蛋白酶-2（MMP-2）和基质金属蛋白酶-9（MMP-9）的血清含量与膀胱移行细胞癌侵袭转移的关系。方法采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）对46例膀胱移行细胞癌患者血清中的MMP-2及MMP-9进行测定,并与18例正常血清进行对照分析。结果膀胱移行细胞癌患者同正常对照组比较,血清中MMP-2和MMP-9含量均显著增高（P〈0.000）,血清中MMP-2和MMP-9含量随着临床分期的升高均有显著性增高（P〈0.0000）,膀胱癌组织学Ⅱ、Ⅲ级患者血清中MMP-2和MMP-9含量明显高于I级（P〈0.0000）,但两者间比较无显著性差异（P〉0.05）。站论MMPs与膀胱移行细胞癌的发生、发展及侵袭转移密切相关,MMPs血清学测定可作为判断膀胱肿瘤预后的指标之一。     

siRNA抑制人舌癌细胞VEGF表达对MMP-9蛋白表达的影响

目的利用小干扰RNA（small interfering RNA,siRNA）抑制人舌癌Tca883细胞血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF）表达,观察其对培养细胞和移植瘤基质金属蛋白酶-9（matrix metalloproteinase-9,MMP-9）蛋白表达的影响。方法以稳定转染携带VEGF—siRNA真核表达载体的人舌癌Tca8113细胞（VEGF—siRNA1、VEGF—siRNA2）为实验组,以转染空载体人舌癌Tca8113细胞及未转染的人舌癌Tea8113细胞为实验对照组和空白对照组,将各组细胞分别接种于裸鼠皮下,用免疫细胞／组织化学法分别测定各组培养细胞和移植瘤VEGF及MMP-9的蛋白表达。结果在培养细胞和移植瘤中,与实验对照组和空白对照组相比,VEGF—siRNA1组和VEGF—siRNA2组VEGF染色平均灰度值高,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;各组培养细胞中均未见MMP-9表达;各组移植瘤MMP-9染色平均灰度值之间的差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论以siRNA干扰沉默人舌癌Tca8113细胞VEGF基因,可明显抑制细胞及移植瘤内VEGF蛋白表达,但是对MMP-9蛋白的表达无明显影响。     

基质金属蛋白酶在耳鼻咽喉良性病变发病机制中的研究进展

细胞外基质和基底膜的降解在疾病的发生和发展中起重要作用,不但是肿瘤侵袭转移的重要因素,也是许多良性病变发生、发展的重要原因。基质金属蛋白酶(MMPs)通过对细胞外基质和基底膜的降解而促进疾病的发生和发展。本文对MMPs及其在耳鼻咽喉良性病变发病机制中的研究进展予以综述。     

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 modulates allergic lung inflammation in murine asthma

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) modulate development, inflammation, and repair in lungs. Tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) interact with MMPs, controlling the intensity and nature of the response to injury. Absence of MMP-9, -2, and -8 activities is associated with altered lung inflammation during allergic sensitization. To test the hypothesis that the absence of TIMP-1 enhances allergic lung inflammation, airway hyperreactivity (AHR), and lung remodeling in asthma, we studied TIMP-1 null (TIMP-1 KO) mice and their WT controls using an ovalbumin (OVA) asthma model. TIMP-1 KO mice, compared to WT controls, developed an asthma phenotype characterized by AHR, pronounced cellular lung infiltrates, greater reduction in lung compliance, enhanced Th2 cytokine mRNA and protein expression, and altered collagen lung content associated with enhanced MMP-9 activity. Our findings support the hypothesis that TIMP-1 plays a protective role by preventing AHR and modulating inflammation, remodeling, and cytokine expression in an animal model of asthma.