cathepsin-g and 4-aminobenzamidine

The role of proteolytic enzymes in the hCG-induced increase in testicular vasopermeability and neutrophil extravasation was studied using protease inhibitors. An intra-testicular injection of hCG together with incubation medium conditioned by polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) caused a significant increase in vasopermeability and a coincident extravasation of PMN's from the postcapillary venules in the rat testis. When p-aminobenzamidine, a serine protease inhibitor which inhibits urokinase-type plasminogen activator, was administered together with hCG in the incubation medium, both the permeability increase and PMN extravasation were prevented. Aprotinin, another serine protease inhibitor, and Eglin C, a specific neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G inhibitor were, however, without effect. None of these inhibitors caused any non-specific vascular effects in the testis at the concentrations used. These results support the concept that the hCG-induced increase in vasopermeability in the rat testis is related to extravasation of PMNs and suggest that urokinase-type plasminogen activator is involved in migration of these cells through the postcapillary venular walls.

Topics: Amidines; Animals; Aprotinin; Benzamidines; Capillary Permeability; Cathepsin G; Cathepsins; Cell Movement; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Female; Male; Neutrophils; Plasminogen Activators; Plasminogen Inactivators; Proteins; Rats; Serine Endopeptidases; Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; Serpins; Testis; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator