Increased cyclooxygenase activity impairs apoptosis of inflammatory neutrophils in mice lacking gelatinase B/matrix metalloproteinase-9

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Blackwell Science Inc

RESUMO

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)/gelatinase B plays an important role in neutrophil infiltration during inflammation and cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) and their products are important regulators of inflammation. Recently, we reported that a genetic lack of MMP-9 impairs neutrophil infiltration during early zymosan-induced peritonitis but at later stages (> 24 hr) neutrophils persist in the peritoneal cavity. Here we show that this is the result of impaired apoptosis of MMP-9−/−-derived leucocytes. As enhanced COX-1 expression was reported in MMP-9−/− mice, we evaluated the hypothesis that altered COX expression induced the above phenomenon as COX-dependent prostaglandins can act either anti-apoptotically (PGE2) or pro-apoptotically (PGD2). The current data demonstrate that messenger RNA and protein expression of both COX isoforms and their activities are increased in MMP-9−/− mice during late peritonitis. Application of selective COX inhibitors revealed enhanced COX-1-dependent PGE2 production and impaired COX-2-dependent PGD2 synthesis in MMP-9−/− mice. Most importantly, inhibition of COX-1 abolished prolonged neutrophil accumulation in the peritoneal cavity of MMP-9−/− mice and increased apoptosis of inflammatory leucocytes. Similarly, weaker apoptosis of MMP-9−/− bone marrow neutrophils treated in vitro with zymosan was reversed by COX-1 inhibition. In conclusion, enhanced COX-1 expression is responsible for persistent neutrophil presence in the peritoneum of MMP-9−/− mice because of increased synthesis of anti-apoptotic PGE2. In non-transgenic mice, however, inflammatory leucocytes die apoptotically in the late stages of peritonitis as a result of COX-2-dependent PGD2 activity. Overall, we show a dependence of COX expression on the presence of MMP-9.

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