Yann Duchossoy, Sonia Arnaud, Sophie Feldblum
Matrix Metalloproteinases: Potential Therapeutic Target in Spinal Cord Injury
Mediators of extracellular matrix proteins degradation,
the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), involved
in inflammation as well as facilitation of process outgrowth
of oligodendrocytes are interesting targets for
neural repair. Recent data reported their activation after
seizures, cerebral ischemia and spinal cord injury.
The present study was designed to localize at cellular
level the gelatinase activity by in situ zymography in a
rat spinal cord contusion model. The kinetic of gelatinase
activation was monitored by in situ zymography
on 20 ?m cryostat sections. The fluorescein-quenched
DQ gelatin digestion yielded cleaved fluorescent peptides
enabling the detection of gelatinase activity at
cellular level. Twenty four hours and 48 h after injury, a
strong gelatinase activity was detected at the lesion
site in and around vascular structures and infiltrated
cells. A preincubation with either MMP-2 or MMP-9 antibodies
significantly decreases the gelatinase activity
pattern, suggesting the involvement of at least both
MMPs. Our results are consistent with a role for MMPs
in the blood spinal barrier disruption, the leukocytes
infiltration, the disruption of the extracellular matrix
and the clearance of debris.
Clinical Chemical Laboratory Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1434-6621
Volume: 39, 04/2001
Pages: 362 - 367
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