Effect of Gastrodia elata on tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced matrix metalloproteinase activity in endothelial cells

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether an ethanol extract of Gastrodia elata (EGE) rhizome, a traditional Korean herbal medical food, suppresses the endothelial extracellular matrix degradation induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Gelatin zymography results showed that pretreatment with EGE to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) decreased TNF-alpha-induced increase of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9 activities in the range of 1-50 mu g/ml. Real-time qRT-PCR results also revealed that TNF-alpha-induced MMP-2/-9 mRNA expression levels were attenuated by pretreatment with EGE. These results provide new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms for the anti-atherosclerotic properties of EGE in vascular diseases.