title: Studies on the sterol-binding capacity of human pancreatic elastase 1.
abstract: In previous studies we isolated human pancreatic elastase 1 from intestinal lavage fluids, where it was found to be part of a complex whose major component was cholesterol. The present study involves the isolation and characterization of this elastase 1-sterol complex recovered from feces of healthy subjects and patients whose intestinal microflora were nearly eradicated by antibiotics. Results indicate that elastase 1 essentially is complexed with neutral sterols, i.e., cholesterol, coprostanol, and coprostanone, in a weight ratio of about 1:1.5, corresponding to about 110 molecules of neutral sterols per one elastase 1 molecule. This complex is elutable with water from the solid moiety of the stools. Elastase 1 thus seems to fulfill the important function of maintaining water solubility of neutral sterols at low bile acid concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sziegoleit
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Linder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002776:Cholestanes / Q000032:analysis; D004083:Cholestanol / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005243:Feces / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002776:Cholestanes; D004083:Cholestanol; D002784:Cholesterol; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; C007123:coprostanone