Suppression of MMP-9 expression in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVEC) using a gold nanorod (GNR)-siRNA nanoplex

Inhibition of Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity using delivery of short interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules to brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs) that constitute the BBB may have a significant impact on reducing the BBB permeability. Gold nano rods (GNRs) can electrostatically bind with MMP-9 siRNA to form a nanoplex and the uptake of this nanoplex by BMVEC cells can result in suppression of MMP-9 expression. The current study explores if this GNR-MMP-9 siRNA nanoplex gene silencing modulates the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins in the BMVEC. The endothelial TJ's of the BBB play a critical role in controlling cellular traffic into the central nervous system. We hypothesize that silencing of the MMP-9 gene expression in BMVEC will increase the expression of TJ proteins thereby decrease endothelial permeability. Our results showed a significant increase in the gene and protein expression of TJ proteins: ZO-1, Occludin and Claudin-5 in BMVEC cells that were transfected with the GNRs-siRNA-MMP-9 nanoplex suggesting that BBB disruption, which results from loss of TJ function due to MMP-9 activation during neuroinflammation can be prevented by silencing MMP-9 expression.