Abnormal expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of neuroinflammatory processes that accompany most central nervous system disease. In particular, early upregulation of the gelatinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 has been shown to contribute to disruption of the blood-brain barrier and to death of neurons in ischemic stroke. In situ zymography reveals a significant increase in gelatinolytic MMPs activity in the ischemic brain hemisphere after 2-h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) followed by 2-h reperfusion in rat. Accordingly, gel zymography demonstrates that expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 are enhanced in cortex and striatum ipsilateral to the ischemic insult. The latter effect appears to be instrumental for development of delayed brain damage since administration of a broad spectrum, highly specific MMPs inhibitor, GM6001, but not by its negative control, results in a significant (50%) reduction in ischemic brain volume. Increased gelatinase activity in the ischemic cortex coincides with elevation (166% vs sham) of mature interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) after 2-h reperfusion and this does not appear to implicate a caspase-1-dependent processing of pro(31kDa)-IL-1beta to yield mature (17kDa) IL-1beta. More importantly, when administered at a neuroprotective dose GM6001 abolishes the early IL-1beta increase in the ischemic cortex and reduces the cleavage of the cytokine proform supporting the deduction that MMPs may initiate IL-1beta processing. In conclusion, development of tissue damage that follows transient ischemia implicates a crucial interplay between MMPs and mediators of neuroinflammation (e.g., IL-1beta), and this further underscores the therapeutic potential of MMPs inhibitors in the treatment of stroke.