Estimation of seric and parietal inhibiting power of elastase; its changes with experimental conditions.

The existence of a parietal elastase and its physiological role in the pathology of the arterial wall remain unknown: it is probably difficult to demonstrate its specific activity because of existing tissular inhibitors, homologus to seric inhibitors. The change of seric inhibitor power when elastase is injected to animals with or without a cholesterol diet is discussed. Moreover, an aortic inhibiting power against elastase is shown. Our results emphasize some new aspects of elastase in its role in arterial wall pathology.