Figure 5: Gelatin zymography analysis of colonic gelatinase A (MMP-2) and gelatinase B (MMP-9) levels in DSS colitis.

Data are shown from acute DSS exposed WT (n=10) and MMP-9^−/− mice (n=11) as well as control WT (n=9) and MMP-9^−/− mice (n=11). For the chronic model, read-outs from DSS exposed WT (n=9) and MMP-9^−/− mice (n=10), and control WT (n=9) and MMP-9^−/− mice (n=4) are shown. Pooled data from three replicated acute DSS experiments are shown. A template of a zymography gel (top panel) including samples from control and DSS-treated WT and MMP-9^−/− mice is shown. For calibration purposes, three different amounts of three human MMP-9 forms (multimers, monomers and a deletion mutant lacking the haemopexin (Hem) and O-glycosylated (OG) domain) were included. In addition, the latter human deletion mutant protein (MMP-9 ΔHemOG) was spiked into all mouse samples to control sample loading and processing. Quantifications of different MMP-9 and MMP-2 forms in colonic tissue isolated from mice included in the acute model of colitis (a–d) and the chronic model of colitis (e–h) are illustrated. Median values are represented and statistical analyses were performed with Mann–Whitney U tests (*P<0.05, **P≤0.01 and ***P≤0.001).