Figure 4.

Systematic induction of TIMP-1 and reduced bone marrow MMP gelatinolytic activity. (A) TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 protein content in bone marrow, spleen, lungs and liver of mice injected i.p. with LPS or control mice (PBS injection) as determined by ELISA. Protein levels detected by ELISA were corrected for the total protein concentration and are presented as nanograms of TIMP in one milligram of total protein. (B) Degradation of fluorogenic gelatin by gelatinases present in bone marrow samples from mice treated with LPS and control mice, in the presence or absence of an inhibitor of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (SB-3CT, 10 μM) or elastase inhibitor (ElaV, 10 μM). The velocity of the gelatin degradation reaction was expressed as fluorescence units (FU) per minute and is indicative of the net proteolytic activity present in the samples. Inhibition percentages are shown. *P<0.05, **P<0.01, as determined by the Mann-Whitney test.