The aim of this study was to accomplish quantitative measurement of tissue levels of collagenases (MMP-1, 8 and 13) in chronic inflamed tissues (pulp and periapical lesions), as well as to determine the dependence between collagenase level and the degree of tissue destruction of examined material. Chronic periapical tissues were collected by periapical surgery from 50 teeth with clinically and ...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a large conserved family of extracellular proteases, a number of which are expressed during neuronal development and upregulated in nervous system diseases. Primarily on the basis of studies using pharmaceutical inhibitors, MMPs have been proposed to degrade the extracellular matrix to allow growth cone advance during development and hence play largely permi...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are attractive candidates for inclusion in cell-based therapies by virtue of their abilities to home to wound sites. However, in-depth characterization of the specific effects of MSCs on their microenvironments is needed to realize their full therapeutic potentials. Furthermore, since MSCs of varying properties can be isolated from a diverse spectrum of tissues, a ...

OBJECTIVE In our study, sildenafil alone and everolimus or alagebrium in combination with sildenafil were investigated in terms of their additional therapeutic and anti-remodeling activity in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) model in rats. In particular, the inter-relationships between PH and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were investigated. METHODS The pulmonary artery res...

SKI306X was previously found to have cartilage protective effects in the experimental osteoarthritis (OA) model. To investigate the chondro-protective benefits of SKI306X for its capacity in altering changes in cartilage metabolism and molecular mechanisms of cartilage protective action, SKI306X is studied in rabbit cartilage explants culture. To investigate the protective effect of SKI306X on ...

proteases whose primary function is in extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and remodelling (9, 42, 43). MMPs are mostly secreted as latent, inactive zymogens by various stromal and epithelial cell types, including mesenchymal cells, T cells, monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, keratinocytes, and tumor cells. Activation into active enzyme usually occurs in the pericellular or extracellular s...

Hepatic artery aneurysms are among the most common visceral artery aneurysms although still relatively rare. Repair of aneurysms >2 cm in diameter is important due to the high rate of rupture and associated mortality. Here, we present a case of a sudden rupture of a hepatic artery aneurysm after presentation with a perforated gangrenous appendicitis. There is increasing evidence that expansion ...

OBJECTIVE To summarize the structure, function, and regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and to review the literature to date on their potential role in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes. METHODS A recursive strategy starting with a Medline Search for primary articles in the last decade, followed by identification of additional articles of interest among the cited literat...

of Korea. In traditional medicine, the herb has been used as an expectorant, a diuretic, and an antiinflammatory for bronchitis, rheumatism, skin eruptions, and eczema. Previous phytochemical studies on Viola species have revealed them to be a rich source of cyclotides and several flavone glycosides. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent endoproteinases that play pivot...

» ...pro-inflammatory activity of MMP13 not by ‘simply’ degrading extracellular matrix but through the release of biologically active soluble TNFa from its membrane bound precursor form. « For decades, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been described as rather unspecific matrix‐ and collagen‐degrading enzymes. Accordingly, this group of proteases was mainly associated with tissue remodeling...