INHIBITION OF COLLAGENASE ACTIVITY BY N-CHLOROTAURINE, A PRODUCT OF ACTIVATED NEUTROPHILS

Objective. To study the effects of N-chlorotaurine on collagenase acti vity, as a model of the effects of neutrophil activation in inflammato ry arthritis. Methods. Collagen degradation by collagenase was measure d by the release of acid-soluble counts from H-3-collagen. Results. N- chlorotaurine inhibited the degradation of collagen by bacterial colla genase. This result is explained by a direct inhibition/inactivation o f collagenase, since N-chlorotaurine had no effect on the proteolytic susceptibility of collagen itself. The effect appears to be specific t o N-chlorotaurine since N-chloroaranine, N-chloroleucine, and HOCl/OCl - failed to inhibit collagenase; in fact, N-chloroalanine and N-chloro leucine actually increased the proteolytic susceptibility of collagen. Conclusion. N-chlorotaurine may minimize damage to cartilaginous join t structures in inflammatory arthritis by inhibiting/inactivating Coll agenase.