Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of the expression and activity on the hepatocyte L02 matrix metalloproteinase-9 by the recombinant adiponectin, and investigate the effect of adiponectin in liver fibrogenesis liver. Methods The cells were divided into control groups, pEGFP-C1/L02 groups and adi-pEGFP-C1/L02 groups.The full-length of human adiponectin mRNA was amplified by reversal transcriptional polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in vitro. Eukaryotic expression vector of adiponectin (adi-pEGFP-C1) was constructed by double enzyme, insertion, connection and gene cloning method and so on. The adi-pEGFP-C1 vector was transfected into the liver cell line L02 cells by the gene transfection method with lipofatmine2000. The stable cell lines of adi-pEGFP-C1/L02 were screened by G418. The protein, mRNA and activity of matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) were detected by Western-blotting, RT-PCR and gel zymography .Results The recombinant vectors adi-pEGFP-C1 was constructed and the stable cell lines of adi-pEGFP-C1/L02 were screened successfully. The mRNA and protein expression levels of MMP-9 were increased by RT-PCR (P <0.01) and Western-blotting（P<0.05）compared with the control groups; The activity of MMP-9 was increased by gel zymography (P <0.05) compared with the control groups. Conclusions Activation of adiponectin may probably affect the process of liver fibrosis by up-regulated the expression and activity of MMP-9.

Key words: Key words: Adiponectin, hepatic fibrosis, L02 hepatocytes, matrix metalloproteinases-9