Matrix metalloproteinases are involved in cardiovascular diseases.

This MiniReview describes the essential biochemical and molecular aspects of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and briefly discusses how they engage in different diseases, with particular emphasis on cardiovascular diseases. There is compelling scientific evidence that many MMPs, especially MMP-2, play important roles in the development of cardiovascular diseases; inhibition of these enzymes is beneficial to many cardiovascular conditions, sometimes precluding or postponing end-organ damage and fatal outcomes. Conducting comprehensive discussions and further studies on how MMPs participate in cardiovascular diseases is important, because inhibition of these enzymes may be an alternative or an adjuvant for current cardiovascular disease therapy.

Antioxidant effect of doxycycline decreases MMP activity and blood pressure in SHR.

Increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels are involved in vascular remodeling of hypertension. In this study, we hypothesized that doxycycline (a MMP inhibitor) could exert antioxidant effects, reverse establish vascular remodeling, and lower blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rats received either doxycycline at 30 mg/kg/day by gavage or vehicle. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was assessed weekly by tail cuff. After 5 weeks of treatment, morphologic changes in the aortic wall were studied in hematoxylin/eosin sections. MMP activity and expression were determined by in situ zymography using DQ gelatin and immunofluorescence for MMP-2. Dihydroethidium was used to evaluate aortic reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by fluorescence microscopy. Doxycycline reduced SBP by 25 mmHg. However, the antihypertensive effects were not associated with significant reversal of hypertension-induced vascular hypertrophy. SHR showed increased aortic MMP-2 levels which co-localized with higher aortic MMP activity and ROS levels, and all those biochemical alterations associated with hypertension were blunted by treatment with doxycycline. These results show that MMP inhibition with doxycycline in SHR with established hypertension resulted in antioxidant effects, lower gelatinolytic activity, and antihypertensive effects which were not associated with reversal of hypertension-induced vascular remodeling.

Captopril and lisinopril only inhibit matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity at millimolar concentrations.

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) shares structural similarities with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). ACE inhibitors have been described to inhibit MMP-2, but this inhibitory potential was not shown using a highly purified MMP-2. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory potential of captopril and lisinopril regarding MMP-2 activity. The first objective was to test the potential of captopril to change the pH of the buffer solution. The second objective was to test the direct inhibitory effect of captopril and lisinopril on plasma MMP-2 and on recombinant human MMP-2 (rhMMP-2). The in vitro activity assays included gelatin zymography and a fluorimetric assay. Captopril solubilization significantly decreased the pH of the 50 mM Tris buffer solution at the following concentrations: 2 mM (p < 0.05), 4 mM and 8 mM (p < 0.01), while only the 8 mM lisinopril induced a drop in pH (p < 0.05). Thus, only 200 mM buffer solutions were used. Zymography results of plasma MMP-2 and rhMMP-2 showed that inhibition only happened at captopril concentrations ≥ 4 and 1 mM, respectively (p < 0.05), while only the higher concentration of lisinopril (8 mM) inhibited plasma MMP-2 (p < 0.05). In the fluorimetric assay, captopril led to significant inhibition of the rhMMP-2 activity at concentrations ≥2 mM (p < 0.01), whereas aminophenylmercuric acetate-activated rhMMP-2 was inhibited by 0.5 mM captopril (p < 0.01). The captopril and lisinopril concentrations found to inhibit MMP-2 are 3 orders of magnitude higher than those present in vivo after drug administration. We also discuss possible pitfalls for gelatinase inhibitory assays (besides the obvious pH problem already cited). In conclusion, this study's data show that captopril and lisinopril did not inhibit MMP-2 directly at the concentrations reached in vivo.

Consistent alterations of circulating matrix metalloproteinases levels in untreated hypertensives and in spontaneously hypertensive rats: a relevant pharmacological target.

Inconsistent matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) levels have been reported in hypertension, with higher, similar and lower MMPs levels reported in hypertensives compared with normotensives. Differences between studies may reflect lack of control of drug effects, accompanying diseases and pre-analytical issues. We compared MMP-2, MMP-8 and MMP-9 levels in 38 untreated hypertensive patients (with no other diseases) with those found in 33 normotensive controls. We also studied endogenous MMPs inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and alpha-2-macroglobulin-A2M). Additionally, we assessed MMPs and A2M levels in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We hypothesized that similar MMPs/endogenous inhibitors' profiles would be found in this animal model of hypertension and in clinical hypertension. MMPs, TIMPs and A2M were measured in plasma samples with commercially available ELISA and gelatin zymography. We found unaltered MMP-2, MMP-8, TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and A2M levels in hypertension. However, hypertensives had higher MMP-9 levels and MMP-9/A2M ratios than normotensives. Moreover, while we found similar MMP-2 and A2M levels in SHR and WKY rats, we found higher MMP-9 levels and MMP-9/A2M ratios in SHR versus WKY rats. These findings show consistent abnormal net plasma MMP-9 (but not MMP-2) activity in clinical and experimental hypertension. These parallel alterations in clinical hypertension and in SHR suggest an important role for MMPs in hypertension. While MMPs may be a relevant pharmacological target, antihypertensive drugs that down-regulate MMPs may offer advantages in the management of this disease.