사람 혈액속의 elastase와 관련된 질병에 대한 연구는 다양한 저해제의 개발을 동반해 왔으며, 최근 항생제도 그 관심대상이 되고 있다. 두 단계의 액체 크로마토그래피를 거쳐 얻은 고순도의 elastase에 12종의 항생제를 처리하였다. 세포벽합성 저해제로 알려져 있는 penicillin계와 cephalosporin계 항생제를 각각 3종씩 처리한 결과, methicillin과 cefamandole은 10mM 농도에서 elastase 활성을 50% 이상 저해하였지만, 나머지는 거의 10% 미만이었다. 단백질합성 저해제 중 oxytetracycline의 elastase에 대한 저해효과는 10mM 농도에서 95% 이상으로 매우 탁월하였으며 (IC50=0.3mM), gentamicin도 50% 이상 저해하였으나, 다른 aminoglycoside나 chloramphenicol은 역시 10%미만이었다. 실험해 본 항생제 가운데, oxytetracycline, cefamandole, methicillin, gentamicin 등은 elastase에 대한 강력한 저해제였으며, 그 작용기전은 항생제의 알려진 약리학적 기전과는 다른 차원의 모델임이 분명하였다.
Human neutrophil elastase (HNE, EC 3, 4 21, 11), a major causative factor in the induction of pulmonary emphysema, were purified by two steps of liquid chromatography. Purified elastases were cross-reacted with antibody to human neutrophil elastases. Methicillin and cefamandole, which are known as inhibitors of cell wall synthesis of microorganisms, could inhibit the activity of human neutrophil elastase up to 50% with 10mM of both agents and IC50 of methicillin was 9.8 mM. Gentamicin, one of the aminoglycosides, also inhibits human neutrophil elastases up to 60% of original activity with 10 mM of this agent and IC50 was 9.0 mM. We could demonstrate similar effects in oxytetracycline. 10 mM of oxytetracycline inhibited 95% of human neutrophil elastase and IC50 was 0.3 mM. Overall, oxytetracycline, cefamandole and methicillin are strong inhibitors of human neutrophil elastase, and they could be a drug of cholice for the diseases which were known as pathogenesis related to elastase. We also suggest that the mechanism of action of these antibitics are different from the mechanism of antimicrobial effects like inhibition of both cell wall synthesis and protein synthesis.
