During gastric ulcer healing, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-13 RNA expression was increased in stromal cells of the gastric mucosa bordering the ulcer, suggesting a prevalent role of non-epithelial cells in pericellular proteolysis.
We studied the temporal and spatial expression of three matrix metalloproteinases, gelatinase A (MMP-2), interstitial collagenase (MMP-13), stromelysin (MMP-3), and their major inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) during experimental gastric ulcer healing induced in rats by acetic acid injection.
Although both aspirin and ticlopidine markedly suppressed platelet aggregation, only ticlopidine impaired gastric ulcer healing and angiogenesis as well as reversing the ulcer-associated changes in serum levels of VEGF and endostatin.