Expression of collagenase-3 (MMP-13) in human abdominal aortic aneurysms and vascular smooth muscle cells in culture

Dongli Mao, Jason K. Lee, Sarah J. Vanvickle, Robert W. Thompson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

108 Scopus citations

Abstract

Collagen degradation is important in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) but the enzymes responsible are undefined. Collagenase-3 is a recently described matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-13) with limited tissue distribution and a highly regulated pattern of expression. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Southern blots, amplification products corresponding to MMP-13 were uniformly detected in samples of AAA and atherosclerotic aorta (ATH), but not in normal aortic controls. By densitometric analysis of blots normalized to β-actin, the expression of MMP-13 was 1.8-fold higher in AAA compared to ATH (P < 0.05). Immunoreactive MMP-13 was localized to medial smooth muscle cells (SMC) in AAA tissue and to human vascular SMC in culture, which also expressed MMP-13 mRNA. These findings indicate for the first time that SMC production of MMP-13 may contribute to the pathophysiologic progression of AAA.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)904-910
Number of pages7
JournalBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Volume261
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 11 1999

Keywords

  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Collagenase-3
  • Matrix metalloproteinases
  • Polymerase chain reaction
  • Vascular smooth muscle cells

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