[Complexes of "pancreatic elastase-seric inhibitors" in swine: their behavior in the presence of homologous aortic elastin].

The present paper deals with the particular behavior of the complexes formed between pancreatic elastase and seric inhibitors in the Pig, when they were set in contact with homologous elastin. The previously known values of dissociation constants of alpha 1-antiprotease-elastase and alpha 2-macroglobulin-elastase complexes indicated they were very stable and almost irreversible. Nevertheless, our results suggest that, when the overall complexes between porcine pancreatic elastase and seric inhibitors were isolated in non drastic conditions, they might develop an elastolytic activity against elastin fibers. This result is important as regards atherosclerosis--in Human--where a destruction of elastin is involved at a early stage of the disease.