Polyvalent antiinflammatory activity of a polyanionic fraction of bovine pancreas. Potential value in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

A sulfomucopolysaccharide complex extracted from bovine pancreas displayed marked inhibitory activity against every one of a broad series of experimental inflammation models. No standard antiinflammatory drug has such all-inclusive action. The complex also exerts intense anticomplement activity in vitro. The potential antiatherosclerotic interest of this type of activity is suggested, in the light of recent hypotheses regarding the relevance of inflammatory and immune factors to the etiopathogenesis of atherosclerosis.