EFFECTS OF AMNIOTIC-FLUID ON PROTEASES - A POSSIBLE ROLE OF AMNIOTIC-FLUID IN FETAL WOUND-HEALING

Fetuses are surrounded by amniotic fluid rich in nutrients and other f actors essential to fetal development and possibly to its scarless wou nd healing. The purpose of this study was to determine whether amnioti c fluid contains factors that regulate activities of major proteases i nvolved in the process of wound healing (e.g., collagenase, hyaluronid ase, elastase, and cathepsin B). Human amniotic fluid was assayed in v itro for inhibition or stimulation of the activity of these enzymes. O ur results showed that amniotic fluid enhanced collagenase activity at a concentration of 66 mug protein (p < 0.01), but inhibited activitie s of hyaluronidase (132 mug protein; p < 0.05), elastase (170 mug prot ein; p < 0.05), and cathepsin 8 (19 mug protein; p < 0.01). This findi ng suggests that amniotic fluid could have an important role in flawle ss fetal wound healing by regulating these matrix-degrading enzymes.