Abstract
In order to clarify the effects of pancreatopeptidase (elastase, Eisai, Japan) on lathyritic lesions of rat aorta, we made histopathological investigation of the lathyritic aorta, using male Sprague-Dawely strain rats fed with a diet containing 0.2% of betaaminopropionitrile fumarate (BAPN). Forty-nine rats (21 day-old) were divided into three groups (A-C), i. e.: Group A; normal diet, Group B; treated with subcutaneous administration of elastase (10 mg/kg) with a normal diet, Group C; BAPN. Group C were sacrified on the 7, 14, 21 and 28 days on the diet, and Group A and B were sacrified on the 28 days on the diet. Another experiment using 69 rats (28 day-old) which were divided into six groups (1-6); Group 1; control, Group 2; BAPN for 28 days, Group 3; BAPN for 28 days with elastase, Group 4; normal diet for 28 days after 28 days BAPN feeding, Group 5; normal diet for 28 days with elastase after 28 days BAPN feeding and Group 6; BAPN for 56 days. Interlaminar granular elastin (IGE) was observed in Group C on the 14th day on the diet. Serum sickness-like lesion was not observed in Group B. The administration of elastase on the BAPN-fed rats (28 day-old) reduced significantly the incidence of IGE. The successive elastase administration after the 28 days BAPN feeding also reduced significantly the incidence of IGE. We concluded that elastase might act in the process of decomposition of the altered elastic fibers of the lathyritic aorta and have also a possibility to prevent or regress some kinds of arteriosclerosis in clinical use.
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