title: Simvastatin inhibits induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in rat alveolar macrophages exposed to cigarette smoke extract.
abstract: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) may play an important role in emphysematous change in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. We previously reported that simvastatin, an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, attenuates emphysematous change and MMP-9 induction in the lungs of rats exposed to cigarette smoke. However, it remained uncertain how cigarette smoke induced MMP-9 and how simvastatin inhibited cigarette smoke-induced MMP-9 expression in alveolar macrophages (AMs), a major source of MMP-9 in the lungs of COPD patients. Presently, we examined the related signaling for MMP-9 induction and the inhibitory mechanism of simvastatin on MMP-9 induction in AMs exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE). In isolated rat AMs, CSE induced MMP-9 expression and phosphorylation of ERK and Akt. A chemical inhibitor of MEK1/2 or PI3K reduced phosphorylation of ERK or Akt, respectively, and also inhibited CSE-mediated MMP-9 induction. Simvastatin reduced CSE-mediated MMP-9 induction, and simvastatin-mediated inhibition was reversed by farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). Similar to simvastatin, inhibition of FPP transferase or GGPP transferase suppressed CSE-mediated MMP-9 induction. Simvastatin attenuated CSE-mediated activation of RAS and phosphorylation of ERK, Akt, p65, IkappaB, and nuclear AP-1 or NF-kappaB activity. Taken together, these results suggest that simvastatin may inhibit CSE-mediated MMP-9 induction, primarily by blocking prenylation of RAS in the signaling pathways, in which Raf-MEK-ERK, PI3K/Akt, AP-1, and IkappaB-NF-kappaB are involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Suwon 440-746, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tran Thi
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Thanh Thuy
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jai Youl
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.forename: Young An
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Yoon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Jee Yin
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Dong Soon
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yeon Mock
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Sang Do
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yun Song
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D012906:Smoke; C004808:farnesyl pyrophosphate; D019821:Simvastatin; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C002963:geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate