Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 Supresses M1 Macrophage Polarization to Protect Against Helicobacter pylori-induced Gastric Inflammation

Abstract

This project was conducted to further elucidate the role of matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) in the pathogenesis of the carcinogenic bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Specifically, in this thesis I discuss the role of MMP7 in H. pylori-induced inflammation and injury. Briefly, we performed histological and molecular biological analysis of stomach tissue from wild-type and MMP7-/- mice that had been challenged with H. pylori. We also performed molecular biological analyses of macrophages extracted from the stomachs or derived from bone marrow of wild-type and MMP7-/- mice. We found that loss of MMP7 results in increased production of inflammatory cytokines, and that MMP-/- macrophages display enhanced M1 macrophage phenotypes. In this research we discovered an explanation for the increased inflammation and injury seen in MMP7-/- mice and thus, a potential role for MMP7 in protecting wild-type animals from H. pylori- induced inflammation.