Differential effects between marimastat,a TNF-alpha converting enzyme inhibitor,and anti-TNF-alpha antibody on murine models for sepsis and arthritis

We investigated the effects of marimastat, an inhibitor of TNF-alpha converting enzyme and matrix metalloproteinases, and anti-TNF-alpha antibodies on a murine model for sepsis, and on arthritis in human TNF-alpha transgenic mice. Marimastat (25-200 mg/kg) inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced soluble TNF-alpha production in mice in a dose-dependent manner. At an oral dose of 200 mg/kg, marimastat almost completely inhibited LPS-induced soluble TNF-alpha production, but only slightly delayed LPS lethality. On the other hand, anti-TNF-alpha antibodies completely abolished LPS-induced morbidity. In addition, anti-TNF-alpha antibodies, but not marimastat (200 mg/kg/day), inhibited the development of arthritis in human TNF-alpha transgenic mice. These results suggest that cell surface TNF-alpha may be important in the pathogenesis of murine models for sepsis and arthritis.