SDS-PAGE gels containing polyacrylamide-copolymerized gelatin at a final concentration of 1 mg mL−1 were prepared. After electrophoresis, the gels were washed in 2.5% Triton X-100 and incubated at 37 °C overnight in a calcium assay buffer (40 mM Tris, 200 mM NaCl, 10 mM CaCl2, pH 7.5). After incubation, the gels were stained with Coomassie brilliant blue R-250. Clear zones of lysis against a blue background indicate gelatinolytic activity and were scanned densitometrically to assess gelatinase activity, as described by us previously (Brown et al., 2004). Western blot was analyzed using a chemiluminescence system (ECLtm,

Amersham Life RG7422 concentration Science). Samples were separated by 8% SDS-PAGE and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes. After blocking,

the membranes were incubated with monoclonal primary antibodies overnight and subsequently with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated secondary antibodies for 2 h. After washing, the immunoblots were incubated with chemiluminescent substrate and exposed to an X-ray film. The band densities were quantified by scanning on a laser densitometer (Golub et al., 1995). The gelatinolytic activity of the conditioned media (CM) was assayed using thermally denatured [3H]-labeled collagen heated to 60 °C for 20 min as the gelatin substrate. Aliquots (10 μL) of CM were added and incubated at 37 °C overnight. Trichloroacetic acid (45%) was then added and incubated at 4 °C for 30 min and the samples were then centrifuged. Radioactivity in the supernatants was quantified in a liquid scintillation counter (Golub et al., 1995). Collagenase activity was measured using [3H]-radiolabeled type I collagen Small molecule library as a substrate and by a combination

of SDS-PAGE and fluorography techniques. [3H-methyl] collagen was prepared using the procedure of Bhatnagar & Becker (Yu et al., 1993). Ten microliters of CM were incubated at 22 °C for 24 h with 10 μL Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase of this soluble [3H-methyl]-type I collagen as a substrate in the presence of 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA) (to activate procollagenase) added at a final concentration of 1.2 mM. The reaction mixture was stopped by adding 10 × sample buffer, followed by boiling for 5 min before being applied to the gel. After electrophoresis, the gels were fixed with 50% isopropyl alcohol containing 5% acetic acid for 10 min, followed by 5% isopropyl alcohol containing 5% acetic acid twice. The gels were washed four times with distilled water, incubated in Autofluor for 1 h and then dried in a gel dryer at 70 °C. Fluorograms were obtained by exposing the dried gel to a Kodak XAR-5 film at −80 °C for 2 days before development. The fluorograms were scanned in an LKB Ultroscan XL laser densitometer to assess the conversion of the intact collagen α-chains to the αA (i.e. 3/4 α)-collagenase degradation products [these conditions of gel electrophoresis do not allow quantification of the αB (1/4) degradation products] (Golub et al., 1995).