Inhibitory effect of elastase on the glomerular capillary basement membrane thickening of the experimental congenital diabetic mice (N.S.Y. mice).

Elastase is an elastin lytic enzyme that inhibits the deposition of fat on arterial walls and suppresses fat buildup. The changes in the renal glomerular basement membrane were observed over 30days ofelastase administration in N. Y. S. mice (experimental congenital diabetic animals). and the treated group showed a lessening in the thickening of the basement membrane. The thichness of the basement membrane in treated animals was 2158.7 ± 96.2 Aagainst 2743.8 ± 168.6 A in the control. Thus, a significant difference (P < 0.01) resulted between the groups of N. S. Y. mice. and elastase is presumed to act upon the metabolism of the renal glomerular basement membrane in them. Key word: Elastase, Glomerular basement membrane, Diabetic mice. INTRODUCTION Discovered by Balo el al. I), elastase was extracted and purified from the pancreas as an enzyme by Banga21 . It breaks down elastin found in the connective tissue of blood vessels and the like. In recent years, the negligible activity ofelastase has been measured using a synthetic substrate, so that its activity is also detectable in organs other than the pancreas, such as the spleen3l or in cells (e.g., leukocytes)41. It has alos been reported that elastase can clinically control hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis. The present investigators produced and reported on experimental congenital diabetic mice N. S. Y. (Nagoya, Shibata, Yasuda) as an animal model for diabetic angiopathySI. These N. Y. S. mice have evidenced a thickening in the glomerular capillary basement membrane, and we investigated the possible effect of elastase on their basement membrane. The following ~EB ~14E • ToJ~i5~T • J¥ 'i¥;m· ;N*tj(-==.· ~!f'i¥;#i' • *.q *% ·1CEB)t-= Received for Publication January 18, 1981