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. 1970 Nov;2(5):583–589. doi: 10.1128/iai.2.5.583-589.1970

In Vivo Studies with the Partially Purified Protease (Elastase) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Geraldine Meinke 1, Joanne Barum 1, Barbara Rosenberg 1, Richard Berk 1
PMCID: PMC416054  PMID: 16557881

Abstract

An extracellular protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibiting elastase activity was characterized in vivo after an 80- to 100-fold purification by chemical and chromatographic procedures. The lethality of different samples for white, female mice was determined by intravenous, intranasal, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous injections. The purified protease exhibited the following 48-hr LD50 values: intraperitoneally, 9.0 protease units; intranasally, 31.5 protease units; and intranasally, 0.3 protease unit. In the concentrations tested no lethality was observed when the subcutaneous route was employed. Gross and microscopic studies revealed that purified protease was capable of eliciting a variety of tissue responses in mice depending upon its route of administration. Intraperitoneal injections resulted in gastrointestinal tract serosal hemorrhage and necrosis. Intranasal and intravenous injections produced pulmonary hemorrhage, whereas subcutaneous injections resulted in black, necrotic, ulcerating lesions.

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Selected References

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

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