The Effect of Doxycycline on Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression and Activity in the Abdominal Aneurysm
The Effect of Doxycycline on Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression and Activity in the Abdominal Aneurysm
The matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is considered to play a central role in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) initiation. Doxycycline has direct MMP-9 inhibiting properties in vitro, and it effectively suppresses AAA development in rodents. Observed inhibition of AAA progression, and contradictory findings in human studies evaluating the effect of doxycycline therapy on aortic wall MMP-9 suggest that the effects of doxycycline extend beyond MMP-9 inhibition, and that the effect may be dose dependent.
In this clinical trial, we evaluated the effect of two weeks of low (50 mg/day), medium (100 mg/day) or high dose (300 mg/day) doxycycline versus no medication in patients undergoing elective AAA repair. The effect of doxycycline treatment on MMP and cysteine proteases, and their respective inhibitors was evaluated in an integrative approach.
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