Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity is required for inflammatory response, leukocyte recruitment, and tumor invasion. There is increasing evidence suggesting that the P2X 7 receptor of mononuclear cells, which is activated by extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), is involved in inflammatory responses. In this study, ATP caused a rapid release of MMP-9 and a moderate decrease in tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) release from human peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) over a 30-minute time course. The release was time-and dose-dependent and dissociated from ATP-induced cell death. BzATP, which is the most potent agonist for the P2X 7 receptor, also caused a similar effect at a lower dosage. ATP-induced MMP-9 release was inhibited by the P2X 7 receptor antagonists periodate oxidized ATP and KN-62, or by calcium chelators, as well as by a loss-offunction polymorphism in the P2X 7 receptor, but not by brefeldin A, monensin, or cycloheximide, or by anti-tumor necrosis factor-␣ (TNF-␣) or anti-interleukin-1 (IL-1) monoclonal antibodies. Results from purified subsets of PBMCs showed monocytes were the major source for MMP-9 and TIMP-1 release, and ATP remained effective in purified monocyte and T-cell populations. These observations suggest a novel role for P2X 7 as a pro-inflammatory receptor involved in rapid MMP-9 release and leukocyte recruitment.
IntroductionSynthesis and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been demonstrated for all cells of the immune and hemopoietic lineages as well as fibroblasts and endothelial cells. A wide variety of neoplastic cells also have been shown to secrete MMPs, and these MMPs are considered to participate in the metastatic dissemination of tumors 1 and cyclic changes in the endometrium. 2 Other studies have shown that MMPs are involved in physiologic processes such as angiogenesis wound repair 3 and the inflammatory response. 4 Among the members of the MMP family, the gelatinases A and B (MMP-2 and 9) are important, since both can produce proteolytic degradation of type 4 collagen, which is the principal component of basement membrane. Many studies have shown that MMP-2 is secreted constitutively, while secretion of MMP-9 is regulated by inflammatory stimuli that differ according to cell type. 5 Like the other MMPs, gelatinases are produced in a latent form containing a prodomain, which requires activation by a cysteine-switch mechanism. 6 Both gelatinases form tight noncovalent and stable complexes with tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Thus, pro-MMP-2 (72 kDa) specifically binds TIMP-2, 7 whereas pro-MMP-9 (92 kDa) specifically binds TIMP-1, which plays a major role in regulating MMP-9 activity. 8 Besides the inhibitory effect of TIMP-1, MMP-9 activity also is regulated at various levels from production to secretion, including transcription of the gene by cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-␣ (TNF-␣) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) or by cellular interactions such as cell-cell contact between monocytes and activate...