AUTHOR=Juica Natalia E. , Rodas Paula I. , Solar Paula , Borda Paula , Vargas Renato , Muñoz Cristobal , Paredes Rodolfo , Christodoulides Myron , Velasquez Luis A. 

TITLE=Neisseria gonorrhoeae Challenge Increases Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 Expression in Fallopian Tube Explants

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2017

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2017.00399

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2017.00399

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=Abstract
Background
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ngo) is the etiological agent of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection that initially infects the female lower genital tract. In untreated women, the bacteria can ascend to the upper genital reproductive tract and infect the fallopian tube (FTs), which is associated with salpingitis and can lead to functional impairment of the FTs and infertility. The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in cell migration and differentiation in the female genital tract, and some pathogens have developed mechanisms to modify the ECM to establish successful infection. The ECM is regulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors TIMPs, whereas MMPs deregulation can lead to pathological conditions in a variety of tissues. 
Results
The aim of this work was to analyze the expression and localization of MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in FTs explants during Ngo infection using real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, zymography and ELISA. No significant variation in the transcription level of MMP-3, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 was observed. In contrast, a significant transcript increase (p<0.05) was observed for MMP-8 that was accompanied by stromal immunoreactivity in infected explants. ELISA results supported these results where the release of MMP-8 was increased upon gonococcal infection. 
Conclusions
Our results indicate that gonococcal infection induces an increase in MMP-8 expression, which may contribute to FTs damage during infection.