Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Postgraduate Medical Journal logoLink to Postgraduate Medical Journal
. 1970 Mar;46(533):154–156. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.46.533.154

Enzymes for trauma

Russell R Miller, Dirk V De Young, James Paxinos
PMCID: PMC2466971  PMID: 4245442

Abstract

We will discuss the mechanism of action, efficacy and side-effects of the proteolytic enzymes. Their exact mechanism of action remains vague which may be partly responsible for the uncertainty about their therapeutic value.

Use of chymotrypsin (Alpha-Chymar) in lens extractions has gained general acceptance and the topical use of trypsin-chymotrypsin (Biozyme), streptokinase-streptodornase (Varidase) and fibrinolysin-desoxyribonuclease (Elase) will also be shown to be of some value.

The merits of oral, buccal or intramuscular administration, however, will not be conclusively demonstrated. Studies showing favourable results for non-topically administered enzymes are not completely acceptable, primarily due to the lack of precise techniques of measurement.

The effectiveness of systemically administered preparations of proteolytic enzymes as anti-inflammatory agents will remain to be established.

Full text

PDF
154

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ambrus J. L., Lassman H. B., DeMarchi J. J. Absorption of exogenous and endogenous proteolytic enzymes. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1967 May-Jun;8(3):362–368. doi: 10.1002/cpt196783362. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BOUTSELIS J. G., SOLLARS R. J. THE EFFECT OF PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES ON EPISIOTOMY PAIN AND SWELLING. Ohio State Med J. 1964 Jun;60:551–553. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Frank S. C. Use of chymoral as an anti-inflammatory agent following surgical trauma. J Am Podiatry Assoc. 1965 Oct;55(10):706–709. doi: 10.7547/87507315-55-10-706. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Grob D. THE ANTIPROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF SERUM : I. THE NATURE AND EXPERIMENTAL VARIATION OF THE ANTIPROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF SERUM. J Gen Physiol. 1943 Mar 20;26(4):405–421. doi: 10.1085/jgp.26.4.405. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gylling U., Rintala A., Taipale S., Tammisto T. The effect of a proteolytic enzyme combinate (bromelain) on the postoperative oedema by oral application. A clinical and experimental study. Acta Chir Scand. 1966 Mar;131(3):193–196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Huntsinger L. A., Lebherz T. B. Double-blind study of the use of oral chymotrypsin in episiotomy. Obstet Gynecol. 1966 Feb;27(2):268–270. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LEWIS G. K., GROSSMAN A. R. THE USE OF AN ORAL ENZYME ACTIVATOR IN TRAUMA. J Int Coll Surg. 1965 Aug;44:136–148. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lie K. K., Larsen R. D., Posch J. L. Evaluation of an oral proteolytic enzyme in operations upon the hand. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1967 Sep;125(3):595–597. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. METRO P. S., HORTON R. B. PLANT ENZYMES IN ORAL SURGERY. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1965 Mar;19:309–316. doi: 10.1016/0030-4220(65)90040-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MILLER J. M., WILLIARD R. F., POLACHEK A. A. An investigation of trypsin I-131 in patients. Exp Med Surg. 1960;18:352–370. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Magnes G. D. Proteolytic enzymes in oral surgery. J Am Dent Assoc. 1966 Jun;72(6):1420–1425. doi: 10.14219/jada.archive.1966.0178. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. SHERMAN E., ELLISON R. S. Subjective evaluation of an enzyme preparation in episiotomy pain. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1961 Oct;82:863–864. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)36155-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Seltzer A. P. Adjunctive use of bromelains in sinusitis: a controlled study. Eye Ear Nose Throat Mon. 1967 Oct;46(10):1281–1288. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Silverman I., Livingston S. F., Lipshitz H. The effect of oral and intramuscular chymotrypsin on the serum chymotrypsin inhibitor levels in the blood following radical mastectomy. Exp Med Surg. 1966;24(2):126–133. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Soule S. D., Wasserman H. C., Burstein R. Oral proteolytic enzyme therapy (chymoral) in episiotomy patients. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1966 Jul 15;95(6):820–823. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(66)90084-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. TAUBER H. Chymotrypsin inhibition by human serum in health and disease. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1950 Jul;74(3):486–489. doi: 10.3181/00379727-74-17948. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. THOREK P., PANDIT J. K. PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES IN WOUND REPAIR; IMMEDIATE POSTOPERATIVE EFFECTS. Appl Ther. 1964 Apr;6:323–325. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Zatuchni G. I., Colombi D. J. Bromelains therapy for the prevention of episiotomy pain. Obstet Gynecol. 1967 Feb;29(2):275–278. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Postgraduate Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES