THE RELEASE OF PROTEIN, LIPID AND POLYSACCHARIDE COMPONENTS OF THE ARTERIAL ELASTICA BY PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES AND LIPID SOLVENTS

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Abstract
Elastase and pepsin, applied as histochemical reagents, were shown to have proteolytic, lipolytic and mucolytic actions against arterial elastic tissue. Elastolysis by enzymes contaminating the elastase preparation was excluded by inhibitor studies. Trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain and fibrinolysin have no elastolytic activity. Neutral lipid solvents removed only part of the phospholipid of the elastica but acidification of the solvent, or treatment with more concentrated acid alone, extracted all the stainable lipid. It was concluded that the elastica lipids cannot be completely extracted by organic solvents unless bonds binding lipid to protein are first disrupted by acid.