Abstract
The effects of porcine pancreatic elastase on experimental atherosclerosis rabbits have been studied. Rabbits were fed 1% cholesterol for 4 months to induced experimental atherosclerosis. Two groups of atherosclerosis rabbits were kept for 5 months as follows; First group (C-group) was fed normal diets and placebo, 2nd group (E-group) was fed normal diets and orally administrated with elastase 100mg/kg/day (97units/mg). The lipids levels in plasma, in lipoprotein, and apo-protein, cholesterol esterases and Suc (ala)3 pNA hydrolytic activity in aorta were analyzed. Plasma cholesterol was rapidly decreased in E-group, and those contents in VLDL and LDL fraction were decreased in same group comparing with C-group. Also, in lipoprotein fraction, Apo E and Apo A were increased in E-group.
Neutral cholesterol esterase activity and Suc (ala)3 pNA-hydrolytic activity were different from those in C-group.
Pathologically, fatty streak involvement in aorta was 50% decreased in E-group. The foam cells in intima and hyperplastic intima of aorta were decreased by elastase administration. These results indicated that elastase had accelerative effect on regression of the experimental atheroscerosis.
