Fm. Cowan et al., SULFUR MUSTARD INCREASES ELASTASE-LIKE ACTIVITY IN HOMOGENATES OF HAIRLESS GUINEA-PIG SKIN, Journal of toxicology. Cutaneous and ocular toxicology, 13(3), 1994, pp. 221-229
The pathologic mechanisms underlying sulfur mustard (HD)-induced skin
vesication are as yet undefined. Enhanced proteolytic activity has bee
n postulated as the cause of HD-induced dermal epidermal. separation.
Using a chromogenic assay, we previously reported that HD-exposed hair
less guinea pig skin biopsies demonstrated increased proteolysis of th
e peptide substrate Tosyl-gly-pro-arg-p-nitroanilide, Chromozym TH (TH
). Elastase activity has been used as a biomarker of inflammation in s
kin. In this study we assayed human leukocyte elastase (HLE) and solub
le extracts of biopsies from control and HD-exposed hairless guinea pi
g skin with both the TH and the HLE (N-methoxysuccinyl-ala-ala-pro-val
-p-nitroanilide) substrates. HD-increased proteolysis of both substrat
es indicates that multiple enzymes may contribute to HD-induced pathol
ogy. The increased activities of an inflammation-associated enzyme suc
h as elastase as early as 3-6 hr after HD exposure of hairless guinea
pig skin indicate that inflammation may be present in HD lesions earli
er than previously thought. The presence of HD-increased proteolysis i
n a soluble extract should facilitate further characterization of the
proteolytic activity and may be useful for elucidating both the mechan
ism(s) of HD-induced pathology and potential treatment compounds.