Relationship between methamphetamine exposure and matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression.

The involvement of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity was evaluated. Injection of mice with stimulant or toxic doses of methamphetamine upregulated MMP9 gene expression in the brain within 5 min. By 24 h, MMP9 gene expression returned to control levels in the stimulant-treated mice, but remained elevated in animals exposed to toxic doses of methamphetamine. Reductions in striatal dopamine levels, a marker of methamphetamine neurotoxicity, developed 1-7 days after methamphetamine exposure, but were not accompanied by concomitant changes in MMP9 gene expression. In MMP9 knockout mice, methamphetamine retained its ability to elicit neurotoxicity. The data suggest that MMP9 expression does not contribute to methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity, and may instead be involved in remodeling of the nervous system.