Collagen degradation in a murine myocarditis model: relevance of matrix metalloproteinase in association with inflammatory induction.

Objective: Myocardial collagen degradation is regulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMPs). The possible relevance of MMPs in association with the inflammatory induction was investigated in a murine coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis model.

Methods: Hearts from viral infected and sham-infected BALB/c mice were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, picrosirius red staining, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry.