Human ageing impairs injury-induced in vivo expression of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 and -2 proteins and mRNA

Proteolysis is an essential component of wound healing but, if uncontrolled, it may lead to degradation of the neo‐matrix and a delay in wound repair. Despite numerous reports of impaired wound healing associated with increasing age, the control of proteolysis is completely unknown. Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP)‐1 and ‐2 inhibit the activity of matrix metalloproteinases and the pattern of regulation of these molecules determines in part the spatial and temporal regulation of proteolytic activity. This study reports on TIMP‐1 and ‐2 protein localization using immunocytochemistry in healing wounds of healthy subjects of different ages from day 1 to 6 months post‐wounding, and has quantified the mRNA levels for both inhibitors using reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). TIMP‐1 and TIMP‐2 proteins are up‐regulated from 24 h post‐wounding, with a decrease in staining intensity by day 7 for TIMP‐2 and by day 14 for TIMP‐1. Steady‐state mRNA levels for both TIMPs were significantly greater in normal young skin than in aged skin. In the young, there was a significant increase in mRNA expression for TIMP‐1 and ‐2 by day 3 post‐wounding, which decreased by day 14 and had returned to basal levels at day 21. In the wounds of the aged subjects, basal levels were observed for TIMP‐1 and ‐2 at all time‐points. These results suggest that intrinsic cutaneous ageing is associated with reduced levels of TIMP mRNA both in normal skin and during acute wound repair. These levels may be instrumental in dermal tissue breakdown in normal skin, retarded wound healing, and the predisposition of the elderly to chronic wound healing states. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.