Caffeine Induces Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 Down-Regulation in Human Leukemia U937 Cells via Ca2+/ROS-Mediated Suppression of ERK/c-Fos Pathway and Activation of p38 MAPK/c-Jun Pathway

Caffeine attenuated invasion of human leukemia U937 cells with characteristic of decreased protein expression and mRNA levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9. Down-regulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in U937 cells was abrogated by abolishment of caffeine-elicited increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and ROS generation. Pretreatment with BAPTA-AM (Ca2+ chelator) and N-acetylcysteine (ROS scavenger) abolished caffeine-induced ERK inactivation and p38 MPAK activation. Moreover, caffeine treatment led to MAPK phosphatase-I (MKP-1) down-regulation and protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac) up-regulation, which were involved in cross-talk between p38 MAPK and ERK. Transfection of constitutively active MEKI or pretreatment with SB202190 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) restored MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression in caffeine-treated cells. Caffeine treatment repressed ERK-mediated c-Fos phosphorylation but evoked p38 MAPK-mediated c-Jun phosphorylation. Knock-down of c-Fos and c-Jun by siRNA reflected that c-Fos counteracted the effect of c-Jun on MMP-2/MMP-9 down-regulation. Taken together, our data indicate that MMP-2/MMP-9 down-regulation in caffeine-treated U937 cells is elicited by Ca2+/ROS-mediated suppression of ERK/c-Fos pathway and activation of p38 MAPK/c-Jun pathway. J. Cell. Physiol. 224: 775-785, 2010. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.