PURPOSE Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-mediated turnover of extracellular matrix (ECM) affects outflow resistance in the uveoscleral pathway. The balance of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) governs the rate of ECM turnover in many tissues. The hypothesis was that a differential effect on MMPs and TIMPs in ciliary body smooth muscle (CBSM) cells would relate to the relati...

AP-2alpha, interleukin-4 (IL-4), E-cadherin, fibulin 1D, p16(INK4alpha), PTEN, RKIP, and S100A4 are determinants (suppressors, except for S100A4) of cancer cell invasiveness and other traits of cancer progression, which are located upstream of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cell signaling pathways. We will refer to them as upstream cancer-progression determinants (UCPDs, for brevity). MMP-...

Fundamental cellular processes including angiogenesis and cell migration require a proteolytic cascade driven by interactions of membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MT1-MMP) and progelatinase A (proMMP-2) that are dependent on the presence of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP-2). There are unique interactions between TIMP-2 and MT1-MMP, which we have previously defined, and h...

Purpose. This work aimed to synthesize the results of recent meta-analysis focusing on polymorphism in inflammatory mediators and its relation with the risk of periodontitis development. Materials and Methods. A systematic search was conducted using databases for publications prior to October 2016. Three examiners extracted data from articles with a clear association between polymorphisms in th...

BACKGROUND The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to cardiovascular remodeling, and MMPs, such as the gelatinases (MMP-9 and MMP-2), have been identified in thoracic aortic aneurysmal (TAA) tissue, but a cause-effect relationship has not been clearly established. Accordingly, this study examined TAA progression in mice devoid of the MMP-9 gene. METHODS AND RESULTS The descending thor...

INTRODUCTION The longitudinal degradation mechanism of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the interbertebral disc remains unclear. Our objective was to elucidate catabolic and anabolic gene expression profiles and their balances in intervertebral disc degeneration using a static compression model. METHODS Forty-eight 12-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rat tails were instrumented with an Ilizarov-type...