Expression of collagenase and potential transcriptional factors in the MRL/l mouse arthropathy.
Typical erosions of articular joint structures in rheumatoid arthritis and in the spontaneous destructive hind-limb arthropathy of autoimmune MRL-lpr/lpr (MRL/l) mice occur predominantly in areas contiguous with proliferating synovial lining cells, suggesting release of proteolytic enzymes from these cells. Synovial lining cells were isolated from arthritic MRL/l mice, and the spontaneous expression of the interstitial procollagenase and its potential transcriptional factors, egr-1 and c-fos, was examined in vitro. The data indicate that basal collagenase RNA expression was stronger in MRL/l cells than in virus-transformed cells. Moreover, elevated RNA levels of the c-fos gene could be detected in the collagenase-expressing synovial lining cells in vitro. In a related immunohistochemical study, collagenase was detected in situ in proliferating synovial lining cells as well as in chondrocytes of the first stage of pathological changes in the MRL/l mouse arthropathy.
Trabandt
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Department of Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
Gay
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Birkedal-Hansen
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Gay
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D000818:Animals; D017364:Collagenases; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*
D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012313:RNA; D017364:Collagenases; C022440:procollagenase; D003012:Microbial Collagenase