Mmp-9, a potential target for cerebral ischemic treatment.
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) which is a member of matrix metalloproteinases family that normally remodel the extracellular matrix, has been shown to play an important role in both animal models of cerebral ischemia and human stroke. The expression of MMP-9 is elevated after cerebral ischemia which is involved in accelerating matrix degradation, disrupting the blood-brain barrier, increasing the infarct size and relating to hemorrhagic transformation. Recently, many drugs, such as tetracycline derivatives, cyclooxygenase inhibitors, ACEI inhibitors and AT1 receptor blockers, etc., have been found to attenuate the elevated expression levels of MMP-9 after ischemia and to reduce the damage of cerebral ischemic. This article reviews the physiological features of MMP-9 and its important role in the genesis, propagation, and therapeutics of cerebral ischemic diseases.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, No. 44 WenHuaXi Road, Jinan 250012, P.R. China.
Xue
X
Dong
Yu-Ning
YN
Song
Wei-Guo
WG
Liu
Xiu-Li
XL
Guo