Activation and Over-expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 in the Decidualization May through PKC Pathway.

Abstract

Our previous study had demonstrated that the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms was associated with the development of deciduomata in the pseudopregnant and pregnant rats, and we suggested that PKC might modulate the proliferation of decidual cells. In the present study, for investigation of PKC and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in development of deciduomata, we compared the expression of MMP-2 and activation of PKC during decidualization in the pseudopregnant and pregnant rats. The results showed that the expression of MMP-2 was significantly increased from day-2 to day-5 in the pseudopregnancy and from day-7 to day-9 in the pregnancy. The increasing expression of MMP-2 was consistent with the expression of PKCn. To further investigate the correlation between MMP-2 and PKC, the expressions of MMP-2 in the TPA- or DAG-treated organotypic culture of decidual tissue were determined. The results showed that the expression and the activation of MMP-2 were increased in the TPA- or DAG-treated cultures. Moreover, these responses were inhibited by PKC inhibitor (H7), PKC specific inhibitor (Go-6976) and translation inhibitor (cycloheximide), but not by transcription inhibitor (actinomycin D) and replication inhibitor (mitomycin C). In addition, TPA also reversed the inhibition of the expression and activation of MMP-2 by pretreatment with progesterone in the primary decidual cell culture. These findings indicated that PKC played an important role in the regulation of the expression of MMP-2 during decidualization. Research supported by NSC 95-2320-B040-043.