我們過去的研究中已經發現，在蛻膜的形成過程中，不論是在真懷孕或假懷孕大鼠蛋白激酵素C （PKC）異構體都參與其中蛻膜的形成，因此我們猜測PKC可能參與調節蛻膜細胞（decidual cell）的增殖。在本篇論文，藉由使用zymography，來測定真懷孕和假懷孕大鼠的蛻膜組織金屬蛋白水解酵素-2（MMP-2）的表現。結果顯示，在假懷孕大鼠蛻膜組織形成的第二天到第五天以及真懷孕大鼠的第七天到第九天，MMP-2的表現都有顯著的增加。而這此結果與PKC α的蛋白表現正好一致。因此我們設計在蛻膜組織的培養過程中，加入12-o-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate （TPA）或diacylgllycerol （DAG）來看MMP-2的表現。結果發現MMP-2都被活化，而這活化的現象可以被PKC抑制劑（H7）、PKC α 特殊抑制劑（Go-6976），以及轉譯抑制劑（cycloheximide）所抑制，但轉錄抑制劑（actinomycin D）和複製抑制劑（mitomycin C）則無此抑制功能。由這些證據顯示PKC α可能涉及調控蛻膜形成中蛻膜組織MMP-2的表現。利用細胞培養測試，也發現MMP-2會因助孕素（progesterone）的抑制而表現減少，同時也發現PKC α也會隨著改變，但若處理TPA則MMP-2恢復表現。另外我們也發現PKC α和PKC ζ在蛻膜形成中mRNA的表現增加，且抗組織胺（diphenhydramine）抑制蛻膜的形成與PKC α活化有關，可見當蛻膜形成中PKC可能扮演雙重調控的角色。
We have demonstrated that the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) isoform are associated with the development of deciduomata in the pseudopregnant and pregnant rats. It is suggested that PKC may modulate the proliferation of decidual cells. In this study, we measured the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2) by using zymography during decidualization in the pseudopregnant and pregnant rats. The result showed that the expression of MMP-2 was significantly increased from day 2 to day 5 in the pseudopregnancy and from day 7 to day 9 in the pregnancy. The phenomenon were paralled with the expression of PKC α. Therefore, the effect of TPA or DAG on the expression of MMP-2 in the organotypic culture of decidual tissue was then determined. The enhanced expression and activation of MMP-2 was observed in the 12-o-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or diacylgllycerol (DAG)-treated cultures. This enhanced expression was inhibited by PKC inhibitor (H7), PKC α specific inhibitor (Go-6976) and translation inhibitor (cycloheximide), but no influence by transcription inhibitor (actinomycin D) and replication inhibitor (mitomycin C). These findings indicated that PKC α may be involved in the regulation of the expression of MMP-2 during decidualization.
