The moderation of elastase-induced emphysema in the hamster by intratracheal pretreatment or post-treatment with succinyl alanyl alanyl prolyl valine chloromethyl ketone.

The capacity of the synthetic elastase inhibitor, succinyl alanyl alanyl prolyl valine chloromethyl ketone (CMK), to moderate elastase-induced emphysema in hamsters was examined using morphometric and physiologic measurements. When 0.5 mg of CMK in saline was injected intratracheally 1 h before the intratracheal injection of 0.1 mg of porcine pancreatic elastase, the hamsters did not develop emphysema. When CMK was injected intratracheally 1 h after elastase, the severity of emphysema was reduced by approximately 50% compared with control animals receiving saline 1 h after elastase. The CMK was ineffective when administered intratracheally 4 h after elastase.