Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is a major regulator of cardiovascular homeostasis and has anti-atherogenic properties. Reduced NO formation is associated with endothelial dysfunction and with cardiovascular risk factors. Although NO downregulates the expression and activity of the pro-atherogenic enzyme matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), no previous clinical study has examined whether endogenous NO formation is inversely associated with the circulating levels of pro-MMP-9, which are associated with cardiovascular events. We examined this hypothesis in 175 healthy male subjects who were non-smokers.
Methods: To assess NO bioavailability, the plasma concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, and cGMP were determined using an ozone-based chemiluminescence assay and an enzyme immunoassay. Pro-MMP-9 and pro-MMP-2 levels were measured in plasma samples by gelatin zymography.
Results: We found significant negative correlations between pro-MMP-9 levels and plasma nitrite (P=0.035, rs= -0.159), nitrate (P=0.040, rs= -0.158), and cGMP (P=0.011, rs= -0.189) concentrations. However, no significant correlations were found between pro-MMP-2 levels and the plasma concentrations of markers of NO bioavailability (all P>0.05).
Conclusions: There is an inverse relationship between markers of NO formation and plasma MMP-9 levels. This finding may shed some light on the possible mechanisms involved in the increased cardiovascular risk of apparently healthy subjects with low NO bioavailability or high circulating levels of pro-MMP-9.