The effect of elastoproteinase on experimental atheromatosis in rabbits

Abstract The effect of elastoproteinase treatment of rabbits fed for 12 weeks with a hypercholesterolemic diet was studied in two series of experiments: the therapeutic effect of the enzyme after the 12-week period and the prophylactic effect during the 12-week period. The concentration of cholesterol and lipid-phosphorus in the whole blood and in the α- and β-lipoprotein fractions was affected in such a way that nearly all the concentrations were significantly higher in the combined enzyme-cholesterol treated rabbits than in the cholesterol animals. Further, enzyme treatment (even of the control animals) drastically decreased the elastin content in lung, heart and aorta, while at the same time the content of soluble collagen was largely increased. The conclusion may be drawn that elastoproteinase cannot be used to prevent or affect positively hypercholesterolemia and the formation of atheromatous lesions.