EFFECT OF HUMAN ALPHA1-ANTITRYPSIN ON PAPAIN-INDUCED EMPHYSEMA IN HAMSTER

Abstract

The possibility that human .alpha.1-antitrypsin could effectively prevent development of emphysematous lesions produced in hamsters 7 days after exposure to aerosolized papain (3% for 3 h) was investigated. Pretreatment with intratracheal human .alpha.1-antitrypsin prevented the appearance of these lesions in a dose-dependent manner. Systemic administration of large doses of human .alpha.1-antitrypsin failed to prevent papain-induced pulmonary lesions, despite a significant increase in serum trypsin inhibitory capacity. Intra-alveolar rather than serum concentrations of human .alpha.1-antitrypsin are apparently critical for preventing the development of pulmonary emphysema in this animal model. It is interesting that although the mechanism by which human .alpha.1-antitrypsin prevented the papain-induced lesions is unknown, intratracheally administered human .alpha.1-antitrypsin similarly prevented the development of pulmonary emphysematous lesions induced by 0.1 mg of porcine pancreatic elastase given intratracheally.