Background: Tetracyclines are antimicrobial agents that possess anti-inflammatory and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitory effects. Tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline have shown different potencies in inhibiting various MMPs. MMPs are a conserved family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases, which are involved in various physiologic and pathologic conditions. MMP-9 is among the most important proteases involved in the development of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory disease Objectives: Considering the central role of MMP-9 in the above-mentioned diseases and the variable inhibitory potentials of routine tetracyclines, including tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline, this study measured the inhibitory effect of these routine tetracycline agents on MMP-9 activity obtained from U-937 cell cultures using the zymography method. Materials and Methods: An MMP-9-rich culture medium of U-937 cells was used as the source of the enzyme. Serial dilutions of 5, 20,