Clearance of circulating anionic and cationic pancreatic trypsinogens in the rat.

The kinetics and mechanism of clearance of pancreatic cationic and anionic trypsinogens from the circulation have been investigated in a rat model. 125I-labeled rat cationic trypsinogen is cleared from the bloodstream with a half-life of approximately 4 min. In contrast, 125I-labeled rat anionic trypsinogen has a half-life in the circulation of approximately 55-60 min. The major site of clearance for both enzymes is the kidney. Neither zymogen binds to plasma proteins to a significant extent over a period of three half-lives. The relative rates of clearance of these zymogens from the circulation appears to correlate with their respective isoelectric points.