Expression of collagenase-3 (MMP-13) in human abdominal aortic aneurysms and vascular smooth muscle cells in culture.
Collagen degradation is important in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) but the enzymes responsible are undefined. Collagenase-3 is a recently described matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-13) with limited tissue distribution and a highly regulated pattern of expression. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Southern blots, amplification products corresponding to MMP-13 were uniformly detected in samples of AAA and atherosclerotic aorta (ATH), but not in normal aortic controls. By densitometric analysis of blots normalized to beta-actin, the expression of MMP-13 was 1.8-fold higher in AAA compared to ATH (P < 0.05). Immunoreactive MMP-13 was localized to medial smooth muscle cells (SMC) in AAA tissue and to human vascular SMC in culture, which also expressed MMP-13 mRNA. These findings indicate for the first time that SMC production of MMP-13 may contribute to the pathophysiologic progression of AAA.
Mao
D
D
Department of Surgery (Section of Vascular Surgery), Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA.
Lee
J K
JK
VanVickle
S J
SJ
Thompson
R W
RW
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000201:enzymology*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017364:Collagenases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017364:Collagenases; C507079:MMP13 protein, human; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13