Enzymatic degradation of helodermin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide.

Helodermin (HDM) belongs to the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) family of polypeptides. Degradation of HDM in the tracheal tissue isolated from a guinea-pig and by an isolated enkephalinase was studied and compared with the degradation of VIP. The tracheal relaxing activity of VIP was potentiated by enkephalinase inhibitors, thiorphan and phosphoramidon, while the activity of HDM was not potentiated. On the other hand, bestatin, an aminopeptidase inhibitor, and captopril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, did not influence the activity of VIP and HDM. The data suggests that the degradation of VIP but not HDM in the trachea was done by enkephalinase. Enkephalinase was then purified from the lung and the striatum membrane fraction through a DEAE-cellulose column, chromatofocusing column and hydroxyapatite column. The purified enkephalinase from the lung hydrolyzed VIP but not HDM. HDM and VIP were, however, hydrolyzed by the striatum enkephalinase. There was only a partial degradation of HDM by the striatum enkephalinase and the hydrolysis rate of HDM was slower than that of VIP. The degradation of VIP and HDM was inhibited by thiorphan. In conclusion, we found that VIP but not HDM was degraded by enkephalinase present in the respiratory system such as the trachea and the lung. Furthermore, enkephalinase, which hydrolyses HDM, was present in the brain.