title: Macrophage elastase (MMP-12) in expanding murine adipose tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to play a role in adipose tissue development, but little information is available on the role of individual proteinases. Expansion of adipose tissue is associated with an increased macrophage content. Macrophage elastase (MMP-12) has an important role in macrophage infiltration, which induces pro-inflammatory effects in adipose tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  The role of MMP-12 was investigated in adipose tissues of MMP-12 deficient and wild-type control mice kept on normal chow or on high fat diet for 15 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP-12 deficiency had no significant effect on total body weight or on subcutaneous (SC) or gonadal (GON) adipose tissue mass. Adipocyte and blood vessel size and density in SC and GON adipose tissues of obese mice were also comparable in MMP-12 deficient and control mice. Macrophage infiltration in SC and GON adipose tissues was not affected by MMP-12 deficiency, but the amount of crown-like structures (CLS) was significantly lower. MMP-12 deficiency did not affect elastin content in the extracellular matrix of SC or GON adipose tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adipose tissue mass and composition in mice with nutritionally induced obesity was not markedly affected by MMP-12 deficiency, except for an apparently lower degree of CLS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MMP-12 does not seem to be essential for macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue, but contributes to the formation of CLS surrounding moribund adipocytes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bauters
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Hul
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Lijnen
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002465:Cell Movement; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D053508:Matrix Metalloproteinase 12 / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma; D053508:Matrix Metalloproteinase 12