(MMP)‐2 plays an important role in tissue remodeling during peritoneal injury caused by peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy, but MMP‐2 inhibitors have not yet been used clinically. Recently, it was reported that captopril, an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, could inhibit MMP‐2 To investigate the potential usefulness of ACE inhibitors during PD therapy, molecular interaction between the MMP‐2 active site and the active form of temocapril (temocaprilat) was studied using molecular modeling. Furthermore, the effect of temocapril on MMP‐2 activity in peritoneal effluents and the peritoneal solute transport rate of PD patients were measured Temocaprilat bound to the MMP‐2 active centre and recognized two hydrophobic substrate‐binding sites in the MMP‐2 molecular model. MMP‐2 activity in peritoneal effluents was directly inhibited by temocaprilat (IC50; 0.47 μmol/L). In one patient given temocapril, the peritoneal solute transport rate decreased gradually during PD may prove to be an important candidate for development as a novel therapeutic agent for MMP‐2 inhibition, to prevent peritoneal injury caused by PD © 2012 The Authors Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd