Immunohistochemical and Zymographic Analyses of Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in Bovine Papillomatous Digital Dermatitis

Abstract

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is an important health issue of dairy cattle. Painful papillomatous tissue proliferations are observed in hind feet of affected animals. The pathogenesis of this papillomatous lesion in BDD is still poorly understood. Matrix metalloproteinases are a group of enzymes for tissue remodeling in both health and disease. In the submitted study, immune expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymes and their zymographic activities were evaluated. Higher immune staining of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were found in BDD samples when compared with healthy skin samples. The differences observed in MMP-2 and MMP-9 staining intensity and distributions were statistically significant (p< 0.05, p<0.05 respectively). Zymographic analyses revealed skin samples from both healthy and affected animals had pro-active and active forms of MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymes. Immunohistochemistry results indicate that significant increase in MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymes in BDD samples. These results suggest MMP-2 and MMP-9 might have roles in the pathogenesis of BDD.