Dollery Clare M, Libby Peter
Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine Division of Medicine, Rayne Institute 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JJ, UK.
Cardiovasc Res. 2006 Feb 15;69(3):625-35. doi: 10.1016/j.cardiores.2005.11.003. Epub 2005 Dec 22.
Rapidly accumulating evidence points to the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as major molecular mediators of arterial diseases. Findings from human pathological specimens, animals, and cell and molecular biology implicate matrix metalloproteinases in all stages of atherosclerosis including lesion initiation and progression and ultimately in plaque complication and triggering of thrombosis. The complex interactions within the proteolytic cascade allow multiple levels of control over these functions. This review weighs the evidence for the role of MMPs in arterial biology with particular reference to their activation in the atherosclerotic plaque.
越来越多的证据表明，基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs）是动脉疾病的主要分子介质。来自人类病理标本、动物以及细胞和分子生物学的研究结果表明，基质金属蛋白酶参与动脉粥样硬化的各个阶段，包括病变的起始和进展，最终涉及斑块并发症和血栓形成的触发。蛋白水解级联反应中的复杂相互作用允许对这些功能进行多层次的控制。本综述权衡了MMPs在动脉生物学中作用的证据，特别提及它们在动脉粥样硬化斑块中的激活。
