Suppression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator mRNA levels in human fibrosarcoma cells and synovial fibroblasts by anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids.

Abstract

Suppression of plasminogen activator (PA) activity has been invoked as being part of the general anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids. Low concentrations of the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (Dex), reduce urokinase-type PA mRNA levels in two cell types, namely a human fibrosarcoma line, HT1080, and synovial fibroblast-like cells isolated from human joints. Conversely, metallothionein IIa (MTIIa) mRNA levels in these cells are raised by Dex. These findings, by suggesting that it is possible to suppress urokinase-type PA activity at the level of gene expression, may have therapeutic implications for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis where proteases may be contributing to t..