AIMTo study the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the supernatant of U937 cells stimulated with LPS and dexamethasone on matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in the synoviocyte from patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA).

METHODSFibroblast-like cells (FLS) from the joint tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis were cultured and incubated for 24 h with LPS (1 mg.L-1) or the supernatant of U937 cells stimulated with LPS (1 mg.L-1) for 24 h. Dexamethasone was added to the supernatant of U937 cells and FLS was incubated for 24 h. The activity of MMP-9 was analyzed by gelatin zymography. Protein expression of MMP-9 was detected by Western blot using special polyclonal antibodies. The mRNA expression of MMP-9 was detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe expression of MMP-9 was not markedly changed in FLS treated with LPS. The MMP-9 activity, MMP-9 secretion and MMP-9 mRNA expression were significantly increased in FLS cultured with the supernatant from U937 cell treated with LPS. Dexamethasone markedly inhibited the activity, protein secretion and mRNA expression of MMP-9 in FLS cultured with the supernatant from U937 cell stimulated with LPS, and the inhibitory effects were increased as the concentration of dexamethasone increased.

CONCLUSIONLPS did not directly affect the expression of MMP-9 in FLS, but it was found to indirectly cause the increase of MMP-9 expression in FLS by stimulating U937 cell. Dexamethasone was found to inhibit this increase of MMP-9 expression.