Liver‐Selective MMP‐9 Inhibition in the Rat Eliminates Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury and Accelerates Liver Regeneration

Recruitment of liver sinusoidal endothelial cell progenitor cells (sprocs) from the bone marrow by vascular endothelial growth factor‐stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (VEGF‐sdf‐1) signaling promotes recovery from injury and drives liver regeneration. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) can proteolytically cleave VEGF, which might inhibit progenitor cell recruitment, but systemic matrix metalloproteinase inhibition might prevent efflux of progenitors from the bone marrow. The hypothesis for this study was that liver‐selective MMP‐9 inhibition would protect the hepatic VEGF‐sdf‐1 signaling pathway, enhance bone marrow sproc recruitment, and thereby ameliorate liver injury and accelerate liver regeneration, whereas systemic MMP inhibition would impair bone marrow sproc mobilization and therefore have less benefit or be detrimental. We found that liver‐selective MMP‐9 inhibition accelerated liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy by 40%, whereas systemic MMP inhibition impaired liver regeneration. Liver‐selective MMP‐9 inhibition largely abolished warm ischemia‐reperfusion injury. In the extended hepatectomy model, liver‐selective MMP‐9 inhibition restored liver sinusoidal endothelial cell integrity, enhanced liver regeneration, and reduced ascites. Liver‐selective MMP‐9 inhibition markedly increased recruitment and engraftment of bone marrow sprocs, whereas systemic MMP inhibition impaired mobilization of bone marrow sprocs and their hepatic engraftment. Hepatic MMP‐9 proteolytically cleaved VEGF after partial hepatectomy. Liver‐selective MMP‐9 inhibition prevented VEGF cleavage and doubled protein expression of VEGF and its downstream signaling partner sdf‐1. In contrast, systemic MMP inhibition enhanced recruitment and engraftment of infused allogeneic progenitors. Conclusion : Liver‐selective MMP inhibition prevents proteolytic cleavage of hepatic VEGF, which enhances recruitment and engraftment of bone marrow sprocs after liver injury. This ameliorates injury and accelerates liver regeneration. Liver‐selective MMP‐9 inhibition may be a therapeutic tool for liver injury that damages the vasculature, whereas systemic MMP inhibition can enhance the benefit of stem cell therapy with endothelial progenitor cells.