Regulatory role of extracellular matrix components in expression of matrix metalloproteinases in cultured hepatic stellate cells

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were changed in their morphology, proliferative activity, and functions by culturing on type I collagen gel, as compared to the culture on polystyrene surface. HSCs have been found to produce extracellular matrix components and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In this study, we have assessed the effects of several types of substrata on the expression of MMPs in HSC culture. MMP-1 expression was detectable in HSC culture on polystyrene surface and on type I collagen gel by immunofluorescence staining and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results from in situ zymography revealed the presence of interstitial collagenase activity around HSCs and along their cellular processes. Although proMMP-2 and proMMP-9 were detectable by gelatin zymography in the conditioned medium from both cultures using type I collagen gel and Matrigel as substratum, an active form of MMP-2 but not of MMP-9 was detected only in the culture using type I collagen as a substratum. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 expression was observed by RT-PCR in HSCs cultured on or in type I collagen gel, suggesting the suppression of MMP-2 activity detected in HSC culture using type I collagen. These results indicate a differential expression of MMP activity, hence the remodeling of extracellular matrix components is dependent on the substratum used for HSC culture. The HSC culture using several types of substrata appears to be a useful in vitro model to study the mechanism of extracellular matrix remodeling.