Antithrombin, antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin activities of the salivary gland secretion and intestinal chyme of medicinal leeches. Antichymotrypsin activity of partially purified preparations of hirudin and pseudohirudin.
High antithrombin activity was maintained in the salivary gland secretion of starved medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) despite harvesting of the secretion twice in a month. However, after third or fourth harvesting every month antithrombin activity was no longer detectable. Moreover, in salivary gland secretion high antitrypsin activity was found but no antichymotrypsin activity. On the other hand, intestinal chyme of starved leeches exhibited high antichymotrypsin activity. Low antithrombin and antitrypsin activities were due to contamination by salivary gland secretion. There was a correlation between antichymotrypsin and antithrombin activities of hirudin preparations purified from bdellins and fractionated by isoelectric focusing. Pseudohirudin preparations exhibited neither antithrombin nor antichymotrypsin activities.
D000818:Animals; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000032:analysis*; D006629:Hirudins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D007865:Leeches / Q000201:enzymology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000201:enzymology; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
D000991:Antithrombins; D006629:Hirudins; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors; C024670:pseudohirudin; D002918:Chymotrypsin