Figure 2

Effect of MMP-2/9 inhibition on the enzymatic activity of MMP-9 and MMP-2 in the skin of naive rats. To evaluate MMP activity following repeated MMP-2/9 inhibition (MMP-2/9I.; 20 μg, i.pl.), zymography was performed on extracts from glabrous skin samples. The analysis revealed reduction in the enzymatic activity of both MMP-9 (A) and MMP-2 (B). Examples of representative zymograms are presented in the upper panels A and B. The densitometry results are presented as the mean ± SEM. Inter-group differences were analyzed by ANOVA with a Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test. *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001 indicate a significant difference as compared to glabrous skin sample of vehicle-treated (V) rats. The interrupted line on the graphs indicates zymogram analyses for MMP-9 and MMP-2 in the contralateral glabrous skin of chronic MMP-2/9I.-treated naïve rats.