Inhibitory Effect of Aqueous Extracts from Marine Sponges on the Activity and Expression of Gelatinases A (MMP-2) and B (MMP-9) in Rat Astrocyte Cultures

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether water soluble compounds present in aqueous extracts from seven Mediterranean demosponges exert biological activity towards matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which represent important pathogenic factors of human diseases. Aqueous extracts were tested on LPS-activated cultured rat astrocytes, and levels and expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assessed by zymography and RT-PCR, respectively. Our results demonstrated that the studied extracts contain water soluble compounds able to inhibit MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity and expression. We also compared the anti-MMP activities present in aqueous extracts from wild and reared specimens of Tethya aurantium and T. citrina. The results obtained revealed that the reared sponges maintain the production of bioactive compounds with inhibitory effect on MMP-2 and MMP-9 for all the duration of the rearing period. Taken together, our results indicate that the aqueous extracts from the selected Mediterranean demosponges possess a variety of water-soluble bioactive compounds, which are able to inhibit MMPs at different levels. The presence of biological activity in aqueous extracts from reared specimens of T. aurantium and T. citrina strongly encourage sponge aquaculture as a valid option to supply sponge biomass for drug development on a large scale.

High Surface Area Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Tunable Size in the Sub-Micrometer Regime: Insights on the Size and Porosity Control Mechanisms

“…The treatment was performed in a final volume of 100 µL for 24 h at 37 °C, 5% CO 2 . At the end of the incubation period, cell culture supernatants were discarded and cells were subjected to the test of cell viability by MTT assay as reported [ 61 ]. Phase-contrast images of the cells treated with MSNs were also recorded and compared with the control.…”

Luminescent PLGA Nanoparticles for Delivery of Darunavir to the Brain and Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9, a Relevant Therapeutic Target of HIV-Associated Neurological Disorders

“…One day after birth, the pups were euthanized by exposure to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and sacrificed by rapid decapitation. Primary glial cell cultures were prepared from rat brains as described by Di Bari et al 69 Briefly, neocortical tissues were cleaned of meninges and blood vessels, then minced, and incubated for 10 min at 37 °C with 0.25% trypsin and 0.01% DNase in DMEM. After centrifugation, the cells were plated in PLL-coated flasks (75 cm 2 ) at a density of 1.5 × 10 7 viable cells/flask in DMEM, 10% FBS, 100 U/mL penicillin, 100 μg/mL streptomycin, and maintained at 37 °C in a 5% CO 2 .…”

Plasminogen and its fragments in rat brain: a plausible role for astrocytes in angiostatin generation

“…However, astrocytes revealed to bear the enormously heterogenic spectrum of angiostatin-like proteins, which, in turn, could affect astrocytic functions. According to the data of [37], MMP-2 and -9 are most frequently synthesized metalloproteinases in astrocytes. In addition, astrocytes express uPAR/uPA-plasminogen activating cascade [10].…”