Inhibition de l'activité élastasique d'extraits de gencives humaines par les peptides d'élastine

: Effects of elastin peptides on elastase activity of gingival biopsy specimen extracts were studied in vitro and in vivo. All the extracts from biopsy specimens from 15 patients with a variety of periodontal diseases demonstrated fairly marked elastase activity. In vitro, addition of elastin peptides produced a mean inhibition of 54% +/- 14% with a concentration of 0.25 mg/ml and a mean inhibition of 90% +/- 6% with 2.5 mg/ml. In vivo treatment of gums with a paste containing 1% elastin peptides reduced elastase activity by 47% in 7 of 8 patients. These data suggest that elastin peptides are effective inhibitors of periodontal elastase activity and may be useful in preparations used for the preventive or curative treatment of periodontal diseases with tissue lysis.