Studies of Tissue Response to Injections of Enzymes

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Abstract
Hyaluronic acid, a mucopolysaccharide, is present in a variety of tissues, including the skin, vitreous humor, and synovial fluid. It is depolymerized and hydrolyzed by hyaluronidase, with the liberation of a hexosamine and glucuronic acid. A significant elevation of tissue hexosamine occurred at the injection sites and in the subsequent "nodules" following the subcutaneous injection of trypsin. The subcutaneous injection of hyaluronidase alone caused no change; it was rapidly and completely diffused. The subcutaneous "nodules" and significant hexosamine changes which developed at the sites where trypsin was injected into a hyaluronidase-treated area closely resembled those which occurred with tryspin alone. Of interest is the significant leukocytosis which occurred only in those rabbits which received both hyaluronidase and trypsin.