EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-9 IN AN AGING AND METABOLICALLY AT-RISK POPULATION

Abstract

Skeletal muscle extracellular matrix undergoes fibrotic changes in aging individuals and patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This fibrosis results from an imbalance in collagen synthesis and degradation, which leads to collagen fiber build-up. There are many factors responsible for the regulation of collagens in the matrix. For example, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is an extracellular matrix remodeling protein that breaks down collagens. The present study aimed to identify associations of MMP-9 with age and metabolic traits. We determined the levels of MMP-9 in serum from a younger group and an older group to determine if protein concentration was associated with age and considered the methylation of the promoter region of the MMP-9 gene to determine associations with metabolic traits or age. There was no significant difference in serum MMP-9 concentrations between the younger and older group, but MMP-9 positively correlated with FPG, SBP, and DBP. In addition, MMP-9 promoter methylation levels demonstrated a negative association with fasting serum insulin. The finding of this study suggests a possible role for MMP-9 in the development of metabolic traits. However, the data and literature need clarification, and researchers need to conduct additional studies.