Expressions of matrilysin and stromelysin in human glioma cells.

Production of matrilysin and stromelysin by five human glioma cell lines was investigated by Northern blot and immunoblot analyses. Four cell lines constitutively produced matrilysin. Its production was stimulated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) in two cell lines and by transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) in two other cell lines. Stromelysin transcript was constitutively expressed in only two cell lines, but enhanced or induced by PMA in four cell lines. These results suggest that these enzymes, especially matrilysin, may be involved in the invasive growth of neoplastic glial cells.