BackgroundMatrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 deficiency makes humans and mice susceptible to inflammation. Here, we reveal an MMP‐2–mediated mechanism that modulates the inflammatory response via secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), a phospholipid hydrolase that releases fatty acids, including precursors of eicosanoids.Methods and ResultsMmp2−/− (and, to a lesser extent, Mmp7−/− and Mmp9−/−) mice had between 10‐ and 1000‐fold elevated sPLA2 activity in plasma and heart, increased eicosanoids and inflammatory markers (both in the liver and heart), and exacerbated lipopolysaccharide‐induced fever, all of which were blunted by adenovirus‐mediated MMP‐2 overexpression and varespladib (pharmacological sPLA2 inhibitor). Moreover, Mmp2 deficiency caused sPLA2‐mediated dysregulation of cardiac lipid metabolic gene expression. Compared with liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle, the heart was the single major source of the Ca2+‐dependent, ≈20‐kDa, varespladib‐inhibitable sPLA2 that circulates when MMP‐2 is deficient. PLA2G5, which is a major cardiac sPLA2 isoform, was proinflammatory when Mmp2 was deficient. Treatment of wild‐type (Mmp2+/+) mice with doxycycline (to inhibit MMP‐2) recapitulated the Mmp2−/− phenotype of increased cardiac sPLA2 activity, prostaglandin E2 levels, and inflammatory gene expression. Treatment with either indomethacin (to inhibit cyclooxygenase‐dependent eicosanoid production) or varespladib (which inhibited eicosanoid production) triggered acute hypertension in Mmp2−/− mice, revealing their reliance on eicosanoids for blood pressure homeostasis.ConclusionsA heart‐centric MMP‐2/sPLA2 axis may modulate blood pressure homeostasis, inflammatory and metabolic gene expression, and the severity of fever. This discovery helps researchers to understand the cardiovascular and systemic effects of MMP‐2 inhibitors and suggests a disease mechanism for human MMP‐2 gene deficiency.

BackgroundEndocrine functions of the heart have been well established. We investigated the hypothesis that cardiac secretion of a unique phospholipase A2 recently identified by our laboratory (cardiac secreted phospholipase A2 [sPLA 2]) establishes a heart–liver endocrine axis that is negatively regulated by matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2).Methods and ResultsIn Mmp2 −/− mice, cardiac (but not hepatic) sPLA 2 was elevated, leading to hepatic inflammation, immune cell infiltration, dysregulation of the sterol regulatory element binding protein‐2 and liver X receptor‐α pathways, abnormal transcriptional responses to dietary cholesterol, and elevated triglycerides in very low‐density lipoprotein and in the liver. Expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐3, a known MMP‐2 substrate, was elevated at both mRNA and protein levels in the heart. Functional studies including in vivo antibody neutralization identified cardiac monocyte chemoattractant protein 3 as a possible agonist of cardiac sPLA 2 secretion. Conversely, systemic sPLA 2 inhibition almost fully normalized the cardiohepatic phenotype without affecting monocyte chemoattractant protein‐3. Finally, wild‐type mice that received high‐performance liquid chromatography–isolated cardiac sPLA 2 from Mmp2 −/− donors developed a cardiohepatic gene expression profile similar to that of Mmp2 −/− mice.ConclusionsThese findings identified the novel MMP‐2/cardiac sPLA 2 pathway that endows the heart with important endocrine functions, including regulation of inflammation and lipid metabolism in the liver. Our findings could also help explain how MMP2 deficiency leads to cardiac problems, inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation in patients.

Hypertensive cardiac disease is a major cause of death worldwide. Causative factors of hypertension include environmental stressors, genetic predisposition, and common morbidities of lipid metabolism such as obesity and diabetes. These factors pathologically elevate the systemic production of vasoconstrictive G-protein-coupled receptor agonists. Pathological concentrations of these agonists upregulate the gene expression and proteolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and A disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs). Among the metalloproteinases that act in concert with other mediators to elevate the systemic blood pressure and to modulate the development of cardiovascular hypertrophy and fibrosis processes are MMP-2, MMP-7, ADAM-12, and ADAM-17. This review offers insights into the activity, differential expression, mutual regulation, and functions of these metalloproteinases. We further review evidence linking them to transcription factors, carrier proteins, and receptors for lipids. The emerging links between metalloproteinases and lipids are intriguing and suggest new therapeutic targets in hypertensive cardiac disease.

H ypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries.1 This condition can be caused by sustained hypertension as well as metabolic comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia. A common effector mechanism of these detrimental factors is a sustained elevation of the systemic levels of G protein-coupled receptor agonists, including angiotensin II (Ang II). These agonists elicit cardiac remodeling processes (hypertrophy and fibrosis), at least in part, through triggering an excessive transcriptional upregulation and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).Purportedly, MMPs act mainly through the proteolysis of substrates, such as extracellular matrix proteins and growth factors to modulate the development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. However, the process of cardiac remodeling can eventually progress to cause cardiac dysfunction and, ultimately, heart failure.2-4 Because of their connection with the cardiac remodeling process, MMPs have long been regarded as attractive therapeutic targets to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.MMP-2 is one of multiple effectors upregulated by prohypertrophic and proinflammatory stimuli.5,6 MMP-2 deficiencyAbstract-Previously, we reported that cardiac matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 is upregulated in hypertensive mice. How MMP-2 affects the development of cardiac disease is unclear. Here, we report that MMP-2 protects from hypertensive cardiac disease. In mice infused with angiotensin II, the lack of MMP-2 (Mmp2 −/− ) did not affect the severity of the hypertension but caused cardiac hypertrophy to develop earlier and to a greater extent versus wild-type (Mmp2 +/+ ) mice, as measured by heart weight:body weight ratio and upregulation of hypertrophy and fibrosis markers. We further found numerous metabolic and inflammatory gene expression abnormalities in the left ventricle of Mmp2 −/− mice. Interestingly, Mmp2 −/− mice expressed greater amounts of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase (a target of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2-mediated transcription and rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol and isoprenoids biosynthesis) in addition to markers of inflammation including chemokines of the C-C motif ligand family. We focused on the functionally related genes for sterol regulatory binding protein-2 and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase.

Keywords:Matrix metalloproteinase-2 Sterol-regulatory element binding protein Low density lipoprotein receptor Pro-protein convertase subtilisin/ kexin type 9 Cholesterol Atherosclerosis a b s t r a c t Low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) catalyzes the uptake of LDL-cholesterol by liver and peripheral organs. The function of the LDLR is antagonized by pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), which binds to LDLR at the plasma membrane inducing LDLR degradation. Here, we report that matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) interacts with and cleaves PCSK9, as evidenced by proteomic, chemical cross-linkage, blue native-PAGE and domain-specific antibodies Western blot analyses. Furthermore, MMP-2 overexpression renders Hepa1-c1c7 cells resistant to PCSK9-induced LDLR degradation. The data suggest that pathological MMP-2 overexpression may protect the LDLR from PCSK-9-induced degradation.