Co-expression of tissue inhibitor and matrix metalloproteinase in myocardium.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are present in the latent form in normal myocardium. To examine the stringent balance between MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) and to determine whether MMP are secreted simultaneously and in co-ordination with their inhibitors, we analysed MMP and TIMP by immunological, isolation by gel-permeation and affinity chromatography, and enzymatic assays in tissues and extracts. Using antibodies to MMP-1 and TIMP-1, we found strong in situ staining of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in tissues. The staining was uniform in the endo- and subendomyocardium as well as in the interstitial space. TIMP-1 was present wherever MMP-1 was localized. From the tissue extract, proteins were separated on a gel-filtration column (Sephacryl S-200) and analysed for MMP and TIMP activity by zymography as well as by using succinyl-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-4-amido-7-methyl coumarin (Suc-GPLGP-AMC) as a selective fluorogenic substrate for collagenase. TIMP and MMP were further purified on collagen-Sepharose affinity column. The results indicated that MMP activity was co-eluted with TIMP activity. MMP-1, MMP-2 and TIMP-1 were further analysed by Northern blot for mRNA levels in the heart, skin, lung, liver and kidney. Results suggested co-expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 at the transcription level in all tissues. The level of MMP-2 mRNA was specifically higher in the heart tissue, which suggests a role of MMP-2 in the integrity of cardiovascular structure. The study indicated that myocardium as well as other tissue have an endogenous inhibitory system, suggesting that the MMPs activity is co-ordinated by their inhibitors at both the gene and protein levels. Furthermore, MMP and TIMP were co-expressed and were tightly regulated in maintaining the architecture of the interstitial tissue.