Integrated Blood Pressure Control (Nov 2020)
Matrix Metalloproteinases and Hypertension-Mediated Organ Damage: Current Insights
Abstract
Valeria Bisogni,1,* Alberto Cerasari,1,2,* Giacomo Pucci,1,2 Gaetano Vaudo1,2 1Unit of Internal Medicine, Terni University Hospital, Terni, Italy; 2Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Valeria BisogniUnit of Internal Medicine, Terni University Hospital, Via Tristano di Joannuccio, 1, Terni, TR 05100, ItalyTel +39 0744 205328Email [email protected]: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important extracellular enzymes involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Changes in the activity and concentration of specific MMPs, as well as the unbalance with their inhibitors (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases – TIMPs), have been described as a part of the pathogenic cascade promoted by arterial hypertension. MMPs are able to degrade various protein substrates in the extracellular matrix, to influence endothelial cells function, vascular smooth muscle cells migration, proliferation and contraction, and to stimulate cardiomyocytes changes. All these processes can be activated by chronically elevated blood pressure values. Animal and human studies demonstrated the key function of MMPs in the pathogenesis of hypertension-mediated vascular, cardiac, and renal damage, besides age and blood pressure values. Thus, the role of MMPs as biomarkers of hypertension-mediated organ damage and potential pharmacological treatment targets to prevent further cardiovascular and renal complications in hypertensive population is increasingly supported. In this review, we aimed to describe the main scientific evidence about the behavior of MMPs in the development of vascular, cardiac, and renal damage in hypertensive patients.Keywords: matrix metalloproteinases, arterial hypertension, hypertension-mediated organ damage
