Microdialysis studies indicate that mechanical loading of human tendon tissue during exercise or training can affect local synthesis and degradation of type I collagen. Degradation of collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins is controlled by an interplay between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). However, it is unknown whether local levels of MMPs and ...

The differentiation of F9 and PSA-1 embryonal carcinoma cells to embryoid bodies composed of a mixture of parietal and visceral endoderm was accompanied by changes in their secretion of metalloproteinases. Differentiation was induced by retinoic acid and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (for F9 cells) or by removing cells from a substrate of feeder cells to alter cell-cell interaction and adhesion (for PSA...

Normal pregnancy is associated with uterine relaxation to accommodate the stretch imposed by the growing fetus; however, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between pregnancy-associated uterine stretch and uterine relaxation are unclear. We hypothesized that increased uterine stretch during pregnancy is associated with upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which in turn cause...

The contribution of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) to timely discharge of the placenta from bovine uterus at parturition is yet inconclusive, partly because of the presence of multiple MMP forms in situ. In the current study, the expression of different gelatinase subtypes on non-retaining placentas of Holstein cows was fingerprinted by using gelatin zymography. Different topographic regions o...

BACKGROUND Most tendon pathology is associated with degeneration, which is thought to involve cyclic loading and cumulative age-related changes in tissue architecture. However, the association between aging and degeneration of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in tendons has not been investigated extensively. METHODS We examined tenocytes from Achilles tendons taken from rats of three different ...

INTRODUCTION The main function of matrix metalloproteinases is the degradation of extracellular matrix components, which is related to changes in the proliferation of cells, their differentiation, motility, and death. MMPs play an important role in physiological processes such as embryogenesis, angiogenesis and tissue remodeling. The increase of MMPs activity is also observed in pathological co...

BACKGROUND We imaged the protease activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) upregulated during aneurysm formation, using protease-activatable near-infrared fluorescence probes. We tested whether these protease-activatable sensors can directly report the in vivo activity of the key biomarkers in aneurysm, using our genetically modified fibulin-4 mouse models for aneurysm formation. Mice homoz...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Subarachnoid hemorrhage from intracranial aneurysm rupture produces a severe form of stroke. Extracellular matrix remodeling is associated with cerebral aneurysms and may play a role in the formation or rupture of these lesions. We previously reported a 3-fold increase in a 72-kDa serum gelatinase in a subgroup of aneurysm patients. The purpose of the present study was to...

Tissue remodeling is an important process in many inflammatory and fibrotic lung disorders. RBC may in these conditions interact with extracellular matrix (ECM). Fibroblasts can produce and secrete matrix components, matrix-degrading enzymes (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Imbalance in matrix synthesis/degradation may result in rearrangement of tissue architecture an...

GHK is a promising cosmeceutical peptide that stimulates the synthesis of ECM and modulates activity Matrix Metallo Proteinases (MMPs). However, due to hydrophilic properties GHK, skin permeability challenge. To overcome this limitation, we considered two modifications, namely palmitoyl attachment arginine oligomer conjugation. First, evaluated optimal modification for penetration using Franz d...