GENERATION OF VV-HEMORPHIN-7 FROM GLOBIN BY PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES

Bovine globin has been incubated with mice peritoneal macrophages in o rder to study its hydrolysis by lysosomal enzymes, among which chiefly cathepsin D. Analysis of resulting peptides, by reversed-phase high-p erformance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), shown the release of a bio active peptide, VV-hemorphin-7. When a carboxyl proteinase inhibitor s uch as pepstatin A was added, no hemorphin was generated, Our results clearly demonstrated that VV-hemorphin-7 generation was principally du e to cathepsin D. This study allowed us to hypothetize a possible path way for in vivo hemorphins appearance from globin catabolism by macrop hages.