Production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by activated human monocytes involves a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt/IKKalpha/NF-kappaB 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 alpha 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 kappaB (IkappaB) kinase-alpha (IKKalpha)/nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB 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 NF-kappaB, as shown by coimmunoprecipitation of the phosphorylated form of IKKalpha and Akt as well as the SH-5 suppression of the dissociation of IkappaB from NF-kappaB and the activation of NF-kappaB p65. The role of NF-kappaB in regulation of MMP-9 was demonstrated further by the inhibition of MMP-9 production by proteasome inhibitors, lactacystin and MG-132, which prevented the ubiquitination and dissociation of IkappaB from NF-kappaB. 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.