REGULATORY EFFECT OF AMINOPEPTIDASE INHIBITOR (BESTATIN) ON THE CERVIX DURING INDUCTION OF RIPENING BY INTERLEUKIN-8

Bestatin is an immunomodulatory peptide that stimulates the humoral an d cell-mediated immune system, It also has an inhibitory effect on mul tiple aminopeptidases, Recently we found that aminopeptidase N inactiv ates interleukin-8 in vitro. Bestatin successfully suppresses the effe ct of aminopeptidase N on interleukin-8, During cervical maturation ma ny biochemical changes occur including decrease in collagen concentrat ion and increase in collagenase and elastase activities, Interleukin-8 , which has a potent neutrophil chemotactic effect, was found to induc e cervical ripening in rabbits, The combination of interleukin-8 with bestatin also induced cervical ripening by providing approximately reg ular levels of neutrophil numbers, collagenase, and elastase activitie s. We therefore suggest that this regulatory mechanism also takes plac e in vivo through the inhibitory effect of bestatin on aminopeptidase N.