Water extract of edible bird’s nest attenuated the oxidative stress-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 by regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase and activator protein-1 pathway in human keratinocytes

Abstract

To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-aging properties of water extract of edible bird’s nest (WEBN), the effect of WEBN on oxidative stress-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) was assessed in human HaCaT keratinocyte. Upon exposure to H2O2, WEBN inhibited H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and scavenged intracellular reactive oxygen species, down-regulated H2O2-induced MMP-1 mRNA expression, protein expression and activity, and lowered the activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), which are the upstream of MMP-1 expression. Furthermore, WEBN inhibited the expression of c-Fos and phospho c-Jun, which are components of the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1), AP-1 transcriptional activity, and AP-1 binding to the MMP-1 promoter. These data indicate that the anti-aging properties of WEBN involve the inhibition of MMP-1 expression via down-regulation of the ERK /JNK and AP-1 pathway.