Peroxynitrite‐mediated matrix metalloproteinase‐2 activation in human hepatic stellate cells

Abstract
To investigate whether hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) alter their expression of MMPs after exposure to nitrogen oxide intermediate (NOI), a human hepatic stellate cell line, LI90 cells, was stimulated with an NO donor, SNAP, or a peroxynitrite donor, SIN‐1, and the culture supernatants were analyzed by gelatin zymography or anti‐MMPs immunoblot. Although SIN‐1 did not enhance the secretions of MMP‐1 and 13, SIN‐1 induced the NF‐κB activation, MT1‐MMP expression and the secretion of activated MMP‐2 in LI90 cells. These results suggest that peroxynitrite may contribute to the remodeling of the extracellular matrix in liver by activating pro‐MMP‐2.