Collagenase Activity of Dog Pancreatic Juice

Abstract

An enzyme is presented in inactivated dog pancreatic juice which digests collagen. This action is not due to trypsin, chymotrypsin, or carboxypeptidase. Inactivated pancreatic juice has no tryptic activity but displays marked collagenase activity. Two commercial preparations of trypsin had slight collagen digesting ability, but heating destoryed the collagenase activity while the proteolytic activity on casein was retained. Collagenase in pancreatic juice should be considered in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis.