Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Minyoung Oh, Hyunji Kim, Eon Woo Shin, Changhwan Sung, Do-Hoon Kim, Dae Hyuk Moon, Ji Sung Lee, Pil Hyung Lee, Seung-Whan Lee, Cheol Whan Lee
Summary: The study compared the effects of statin/ezetimibe combination therapy and statin monotherapy on carotid atherosclerotic plaque inflammation, finding that both treatments were similarly effective in reducing inflammation and improving lipid levels.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Alberto Cecconi, Jean Paul Vilchez-Tschischke, Jesus Mateo, Javier Sanchez-Gonzalez, Samuel Espana, Rodrigo Fernandez-Jimenez, Beatriz Lopez-Melgar, Leticia Fernandez Friera, Gonzalo J. Lopez-Martin, Valentin Fuster, Jesus Ruiz-Cabello, Borja Ibanez
Summary: The study found that colchicine may stabilize atherosclerotic plaque by reducing inflammatory activity and plaque burden, particularly in animals with high cholesterol levels.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacek Kudelski, Anna Tokarzewicz, Monika Gudowska-Sawczuk, Barbara Mroczko, Piotr Chlosta, Marta Bruczko-Goralewska, Przemyslaw Mitura, Grzegorz Mlynarczyk
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in urinary bladder cancer at different stages. The results showed that the content and activity of MMP-9 were higher than MMP-2, especially in high-grade cancer tissue. MMP-9 may have higher clinical utility as a potential therapeutic option and a diagnostic biomarker for urinary bladder cancer.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Bin Lin, Smitha Nair, Daniel M. J. Fellner, Noha Ahmed Nasef, Harjinder Singh, Leonardo Negron, David C. Goldstone, Margaret A. Brimble, Juliet A. Gerrard, Laura Domigan, Jackie C. Evans, Jonathan M. Stephens, Troy L. Merry, Kerry M. Loomes
Summary: 3,6,7-trimethyllumazine (Lepteridine (TM)) is a newly discovered natural pteridine derivative found in Manuka honey, which inhibits gelatinase activity by interfering with the connection between MMP-9 and the gelatin matrix.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Livia S. A. Passos, Dakota Becker-Greene, Renato Braulio, Thanh-Dat Le, Claudio L. Gelape, Luis Felipe R. de Almeida, Divino Pedro A. Rocha, Carlos Augusto P. Gomes, William A. M. Esteves, Luiz G. Passaglia, Jacob P. Dal-Bianco, Robert A. Levine, Masanori Aikawa, Judy Hung, Walderez O. Dutra, Maria Carmo P. Nunes, Elena Aikawa
Summary: This study evaluated the histological and molecular characteristics of mitral valves in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis who underwent emergency surgery after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) and compared them with patients who underwent elective mitral valve replacement surgery. The findings showed that inflammatory cells contribute to the accumulation of MMP-1 and IFN-gamma in valve leaflets, leading to uneven collagen remodeling and increased risk of leaflet tear.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Jane Seymour Woodrow, M. Katie Sheats, Bethanie Cooper, Rosemary Bayless
Summary: Asthma is a chronic lower airway inflammation that leads to airway remodeling and permanent decrease in lung function. Animal models have played a crucial role in discovering molecular pathways and new therapeutic approaches for asthma. These models can be induced or naturally occurring, and various species such as mice, rats, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, sheep, horses, and nonhuman primates have been used. Factors to consider when evaluating asthma models include cost, labor, reagent availability, regulatory burden, relevance to human disease, type of inflammation, available biological samples, and ability to answer research questions. This review focuses on discussing the most commonly used animal models for asthma research, with emphasis on the antigen/allergen, inflammatory response, and translation to human asthma.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Diego Gomes, Shari Wang, Leela Goodspeed, Katherine E. Turk, Tomasz Wietecha, Yongjun Liu, Karin E. Bornfeldt, Kevin D. O'Brien, Alan Chait, Laura J. den Hartigh
Summary: Ldlr-ASO is a promising tool for generating complex rodent models of atherosclerosis, but it does not induce comparable levels of hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerosis as Ldlr(-/-) mice and increases hepatic inflammation.
JOURNAL OF LIPID RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arno Kirchhain, Asta Zubriene, Visvaldas Kairys, Federico Vivaldi, Andrea Bonini, Denise Biagini, Delio Santalucia, Daumantas Matulis, Fabio Di Francesco
Summary: Matrix metalloproteinases play a crucial role in cancer progression and metastasis, and molecular probes have been successfully used to study their activity. In this study, a series of MMP-2 and MMP-9 binding probes were synthesized, showing high selectivity against MMP-2 and potential for sensor fabrication. The experimental results were confirmed by molecular modeling, indicating the potential application of these probes for targeted enzyme detection.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Silvia Breviario, Julia Senserrich, Eva Florensa-Zanuy, Emilio Garro-Martinez, Alvaro Diaz, Elena Castro, Angel Pazos, Fuencisla Pilar-Cuellar
Summary: The study found that the activity and protein expression of MMP-9 are significantly elevated in brain areas relevant to depression, while nectin-3 levels are lower in these areas. The immobility time in the tail suspension test is positively correlated with cortical MMP-9 activity and negatively correlated with nectin-3 levels. These findings support the role of MMP-9 in the pathophysiology of depression.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhendong Liu, Ruizhou Liu, Rui Wang, Jihang Dai, Hui Chen, Jingcheng Wang, Xiaolei Li
Summary: Sinensetin (SIN), a natural flavonoid, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which can reduce the production of inflammatory mediators in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes and protect the degradation of extracellular matrix. It also inhibits the activation of NF-κB and delays the progression of osteoarthritis in rats, protecting cartilage.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ling Zhang, Li Zhou, Linlin Bao, Jiangning Liu, Hua Zhu, Qi Lv, Ruixue Liu, Wei Chen, Wei Tong, Qiang Wei, Yanfeng Xu, Wei Deng, Hong Gao, Jing Xue, Zhiqi Song, Pin Yu, Yunlin Han, Yu Zhang, Xiuping Sun, Xuan Yu, Chuan Qin
Summary: The study found evidence supporting that SARS-CoV-2 can cross the blood-brain barrier in transcellular pathways based on experiments in mice and hamsters. The transmission pathway involves disrupted basement membrane without obvious alteration of tight junctions.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TARGETED THERAPY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zainab Ahmed Rashid, Sanaa K. Bardaweel
Summary: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP-9, play a significant role in cancer pathogenesis and progression. However, no effective MMP-9 inhibitor has been approved by the FDA. This review focuses on exploring the strategies for designing MMP-9 inhibitors and their anticancer effects.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Xueyu Wang, Yahong Fu, Zulong Xie, Muhua Cao, Wenbo Qu, Xiangwen Xi, Shan Zhong, Minghui Piao, Xiang Peng, Ying Jia, Lingbo Meng, Jinwei Tian
Summary: The study utilized Fbn1(C1039G+/-)LDLR(-/-) mice as a model for atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques, showing that these mice exhibited numerous features of human advanced atherosclerotic unstable plaques after being fed a high-fat diet. This novel model provides insights into the pathological and physiological mechanisms of advanced atherosclerotic unstable plaques.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Yo-Tsen Liu, Cheng-Chia Lee, Chun-Fu Lin, Hsiu-Mei Wu, Wan-Yuo Guo, Huai-Che Yang, Feng-Chi Chang, Kang-Du Liou, Chung-Jung Lin
Summary: Both angiogenesis and inflammation contribute to the activation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs), which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of BAVMs by dissolving the extracellular matrix and disrupting the blood-brain barrier. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is identified as the key common cytokine in both angiogenesis and inflammation. This study aims to explore the relationship between plasma cytokines and the clinical presentations of BAVMs. The results indicate that plasma MMP-9 levels are significantly higher in BAVM patients compared to patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), and are associated with epileptic BAVMs. Angiogenesis and pseudophlebitis can potentially serve as imaging biomarkers for epileptic BAVMs.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maha Sabry, Seham Mostafa, Laila Rashed, Marwa Abdelgwad, Samaa Kamar, Suzanne Estaphan
Summary: This study found that induction of atherosclerosis via high fat diet led to a significant increase in MMP-9 levels in untreated rats, which correlated significantly with all measured parameters. Carvedilol and bisphosphonate had similar effects in restoring the measured parameters back to normal, partially or completely.
