Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been involved in inflammatory and degradative processes in pathologic conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of melatonin in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayer permeability and the regulation of MMP9 induced by interleukin 1β (IL1β (IL1B)) in HUVECs. Protection studies were carried out with melatonin, a well-known antioxidant and antiinflammatory molecule. MMP9 expression was increased with IL1β

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... duction in HUVECs. Melatonin showed a barrier-protective role by downregulation of MMP9 and upregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 expression in HUVECs. Meanwhile, melatonin also decreased sodium fluorescein permeability and counteracted the downregulation of vascular endothelial cadherin and occludin expression in HUVECs. During inflammatory stimulus, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) plays a significant role in regulating MMP genes expression, thus the function of NF-κB in HUVECs' barrier disruption was investigated. IL1β induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB in HUVECs and regulated MMP9 expression. However, NF-κB translocation into the nucleus was inhibited significantly by melatonin. Our results show that melatonin decreases the permeability of monolayer endothelial cell induced by IL1β. At the same time, melatonin decreased the expression and activity of MMP9 by a NF-κB-dependent pathway in HUVECs induced by IL1β.