Differential regulation of cytokine-induced MMP-1 and MMP-13 expression by p38 kinase inhibitors in human chondrosarcoma cells: potential role of Runx2 in mediating p38 effects

Objective: To investigate mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways for their ability to differentially regulate the expression of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-1 and -13 in human chondrosarcoma cells using pathway-selective inhibitors. Design: Human chondrosarcoma cell lines (SW1353 and JJ012) and human articular chondrocytes (HACs) were treated with cytokines (IL-1 beta and TNF alpha) and the expression of MMP-1 and -13 was analyzed. The effects of MAP kinase inhibitors on cytokine-induced expression of MMP-1 and -13 were evaluated using ELISA and Western blot analyses. The possible involvement of the Runx2 pathway in mediating p38 effects on MMP-1 3 expression was analyzed using promote r-reporter assays, ELISA and immunoprecipitation analyses. Results: IL-1 beta and TNF alpha strongly induced the expression of MMP-1 and -13 in SW1353 cells and HACs, whereas only TNFa was found to induce the expression of these two MMPs in JJ012 cells. Cytokine treatment did not result in a significant increase in the activity of MMPs because of the excess production of endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases (TIMPs). Treatment with p38 kinase inhibitors (SB203580 and SB242235) strongly inhibited cytokine-induced MMP-13 expression in a dose-dependent fashion while having a somewhat weaker inhibitory effect on MMP-1 expression. In contrast, inhibitors of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways did not inhibit the expression of either MMP. Overexpression of Runx2 robustly stimulated the transcriptional activation of MMP-1 3 but had no effect on MMP-1 expression. Furthermore, IL-1 beta induced the phosphorylation of Runx2, and this effect was blocked by a p38 kinase inhibitor. Our data suggest that Runx2 is likely to be a key downstream mediator of p38 effects in the differential regulation of IL-1 beta induced MMP-1 3 expression. Conclusions: These studies demonstrate the differential inhibition of cytokine-induced MMP-1 and -13 expression by p38 kinase inhibitors in human chondrosarcoma cells. Our studies also suggest the involvement of Runx2, at least in part, in mediating the effects of p38 on MMP-13 expression. (C) 2006 OsteoArthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.