THE EFFECT OF TAMOL ON HUMAN MAST-CELL CHYMASE AND PLASMIN

Tamol is widely used in the therapy of inflammatory dermatoses. It has pronounced astringent properties and is able to inactivate the neutro phil-derived elastase. Since plasminogen activation and release of mas t cell chymase may occur in acute dermatitis, we investigated the inhi bitory properties of tamol for these enzymes. Tamol proved to be a pot ent inhibitor of plasmin and mast cell chymase in concentrations relev ant for use in dermatotherapy. The inhibition of mast cell chymase and plasmin by tamol was linear and non-competitive, The inactivation of proteolytic enzymes with the capacity to degrade extracellular-matrix proteins may be one of the major clinical effects of tamol in the trea tment of acute inflammatory dermatoses.