Production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by activated human monocytes involves a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt/IKK /NF- B pathway

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is considered to be an important component in the progression of inflammation. Monocytes/macrophages are prominent at inflammation sites, and activation of these cells by stimulants, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, leads to the production of significant amounts of MMP-9. Here, we show that LPS stimulation of monocytes results in MMP-9 production through a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K)/ Akt/inhibitor of B (I B) kinase(IKK )/nuclear factor (NF)B pathway. This new role for Akt in signaling leading to MMP-9 production was demonstrated by inhibitor and immunoprecipitation studies. LY294002 or wortmannin, inhibitors of PI-3K, suppressed LPS-induced Akt activity and MMP-9 production. Evidence for the participation of Akt in monocyte MMP-9 synthesis was demonstrated by the inhibition of MMP-9 by SH-5, a specific inhibitor of Akt. The mechanism by which Akt regulates MMP-9 is through the activation of NFB, as shown by coimmunoprecipitation of the phosphorylated form of IKK and Akt as well as the SH-5 suppression of the dissociation of I B from NFB and the activation of NFB p65. The role of NFB in regulation of MMP-9 was demonstrated further by the inhibition of MMP-9 production by proteasome inhibitors, lactacystin and MG132, which prevented the ubiquitination and dissociation of I B from NFB. This is the first demonstration that Akt is involved in the signaling pathway leading to the production of monocyte MMP-9 and provides an additional approach in the regulation of this enzyme in human primary monocytes. J. Leukoc. Biol. 78: 259–265; 2005.