The processing mechanism and gelatinolytic activity of the membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MT-MMP-1) were examined by expressing in COS-1 cells a deletion mutant of MT-MMP-1 lacking the trans-membrane domain (delta MT1) and its site-directed mutant with a furin-resistant sequence in the propeptide domain (mutant delta MT1). delta MT1, but not mutant delta MT1, was processed to an acti...

The ability to degrade type IV collagen, the major component of the basement membrane, is unique to gelatinases A and B. These two matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are most often linked to the malignant phenotype of tumor cells, and their expression is elevated in several cases of human tumor aggressiveness and overall survival. By gelatin zymography, we verified MMP activity in the urine of pa...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that are implicated in multiple stages of cancer progression including invasion and metastasis. MMPs exert these effects by cleaving a diverse group of substrates, which include not only structural components of the extracellular matrix, but also growth factor receptors. By gelatin zymography we verified MMP activity in the pleural effusi...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a potent antiinflammatory molecule, in regulating interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-induced production of the chemokines RANTES (CCL5), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL2), epithelial neutrophil-activating peptide 78 (ENA-78/CXCL5), growth-regulated oncogene alpha (GROalpha/CXCL1), and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MM...

Gastric cancer is associated with increased migration and invasion. In the present study, we explored the role of c-Src in gastric cancer cell migration and invasion. BGC-823 gastric cancer cells were used to investigate migration following treatment of these cells with the c-Src inhibitors, PP2 and SU6656. Migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing and Transwell assays. Western blot...

Membrane vesicles are shed by tumor cells both in vivo and in vitro. Although their functions are not well understood, it has been proposed that they may play multiple roles in tumor progression. We characterized membrane vesicles from human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cell cultures for the presence of proteinases involved in tumor invasion. By gelatin zymography and Western blotting, these vesicles sh...

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of progressive kidney diseases that are characterized by fibrosis. The main intracellular signaling pathway of TGF-β1 is the Smad system, where Smad2 and Smad3 play a central role in transcriptional regulation of target genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism. This study analyzes the hypothesis that block...

Objective: Visfatin is elevated in obesity and T2DM; and thought to be an inflammatory mediator within atherosclerotic lesions inducing gelatinase activity. We investigated the activation of NFB a well-known pro-inflammatory transcription factor by visfatin in ECs. Research Design and Methods: Human ECs were transfected with pNFB-Luc plasmid. Using Quantitative PCR, western blot analysis and ge...

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an active component extracted from honeybee hives, exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. However, the molecular mechanism by which CAPE affects oral cancer cell metastasis has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of CAPE on the invasive ability of SCC-9 oral cancer cells. Results...

Background. Left ventricular aneurysm repair (LVAR) prevents congestive heart failure after myocardial infarc-tion (MI). LV dilation after MI is related to postinfarct myocardial remodeling and leads to CHF. Because changes in matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), and the physical properties of collagens are involved in myocardial remodeling, the eff...