Ethylacetate fraction from Korean seaside starfish, Asterias amurensis, has an inhibitory effect on MMP-9 activity and expression and on migration behavior of TNF-α induced human aortic smooth muscle cells.

Atherosclerosis is accompanied by the proliferation of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC) and their movement into the intima. Many reports have indicated the involvement of gelatinases (MMP-9 and MMP-2) in this pathogenesis. The ethylacetate fraction from starfish, Asterias amurensis (EFA), harvested from the Korean seaside has an inhibitory effect on MMP-9 and MMP-2 activities, as well as on the expression of MMP-9 in TNF-α induced HASMC in a dose-dependent manner. Also, EFA inhibits the migration of TNF-α induced HASMC in transwells containing gelatin coated plugs. EFA was not cytotoxic to HASMC over the range 0-1mg/ml. By Western-blot analysis, it was revealed that the phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) in TNF-α induced cells was inhibited and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 levels in nuclear extracts were decreased by EFA treatment. In addition, ERK inhibitor (U0126) treated cells exhibited decreased MMP-9 activity in the zymographic assay. From these results, it was found that the gelatinolytic activity was regulated (1) by enzymatic inhibition of both MMP-9 and MMP-2, as well as (2) by the decreased production of MMP-9 via ERK pathways in EFA treated HASMCs. Taken together, it has been shown that EFA has a putative anti-atherosclerotic effect.