Background: Imbalance between proteinases and their inhibitors released from alveolar type II pneumocytes may cause development of inflammatory lung diseases.
Objectives and methods: We examined mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) in a cell line (A549) and in primary culture of normal adult human type II pneumocytes using reverse transcription-competitive polymerase chain reaction.
Results: Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) increased MMP-3 and TIMP-3 expressions in A549 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. IL-1beta mainly augmented MMP-3 expression, while TGF-beta1 mainly augmented TIMP-3 expression. Dexamethasone attenuated both IL-1beta- and TGF-beta1-stimulated expressions of MMP-3 and TIMP-3. Interleukin-10 had no significant effect. Hepatocyte growth factor alone had no effect on constitutive MMP-3 expression or TIMP-3 expression, but it augmented TGF-beta1-stimulated MMP-3 expression. The constitutive expressions were higher in normal type II pneumocytes than in A549 cells, but the regulations were similar.
Conclusions: These data indicated that the matrix degradation is enhanced by IL-1beta and suppressed by TGF-beta1 via regulations in the balance between MMP-3 and TIMP-3. Further, these regulations were shown to be modulated by glucocorticoids and growth factors.
Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel