Hypoxia and a hypoxia mimetic up-regulate matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 in equine laminar keratinocytes.

This study examines how a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) and a substance that mimics this condition (cobalt chloride) increase the activity of two specific proteins in horse hoof cells, potentially leading to damage to the hoof structure.

Research Objective

• The goal of this study was to understand if hypoxia and cobalt chloride, a chemical that mimics hypoxia, affect the behavior of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 in cultured cells taken from horse hooves.

Methodology

• Cells from horse hooves, specifically laminar keratinocytes, were cultured in a laboratory setting.
• The cellular activity of MMP-2 and -9 was monitored using a technique known as gelatin zymography, which uses gelatin to visualize the activity of these proteins.
• The experiment exposed the cells to cobalt chloride and observed the changes in the MMP-2 and -9 activity compared to control cells which weren’t treated with cobalt chloride.
• Separately, the experiment also exposed the cells to hypoxic conditions and recorded the changes in the activity of the MMP-2 and -9 proteins.

Findings

• The study found that treating keratinocytes with cobalt chloride significantly increased the active levels of MMP-2 in comparison to untreated cells.
• Hypoxia, too, raised the expression of active MMP-2 and -9 in these horse hoof cells. The researchers observed the increase in protein activity after 6 hours of exposure, reaching peak levels at 24 hours.

Implications

• The researchers suggest that their findings provide new proof of a potential link between hypoxia, up-regulation of MMPs, and damage to the hoof structure in horses. In other words, lack of oxygen within the hoof or substances mimicking this condition could increase the activity of damaging proteins and lead to structural damage.
• These findings could pave the way for additional research on horse hoof health and could potentially inform therapeutic strategies to prevent or manage hoof damage.