Plasma and inflammatory fluid kininogen levels, and blood and inflammatory fluid free kinin levels were determined in rats 24 h after the injection of carrageenin into an air pouch. Plasma T-kininogen levels increased 7-fold. In the inflammatory fluid levels reached 8 pg/ml. Blood levels of free kinin showed a 5-fold increase. The kinins were identified on HPLC as T-kinin (Ile-Ser-bradykinin) and bradykinin, 63 and 37x, respectively. These results indicate for the first time that free T-kinin as well as bradykinin is released during an inflammatory response in rat and confirms our previous finding that T-kininogen may be a major acutephase protein in inflammation.T-kinin T-kininogen Bradykinin InJlammation Acute-phase protein Carrageenin

We examined the handling of radiolabeled beta-casomorphin, Tyr-Pro-[3H]Phe-Pro-Gly, by rabbit renal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV). The uptake of radiolabel into the vesicles was Na+-independent, but an inward-directed H+ gradient stimulated the uptake. The H+ gradient-dependent uptake was further accelerated by an interior-negative membrane potential, but inhibited in the presence of a protonophore. Treatment of the membrane vesicles with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) greatly reduced the uptake of the radiolabel. Control as well as DFP-treated vesicles exhibited H+ gradient-dependent Gly-Sar uptake. Unlabeled beta-casomorphin inhibited Gly-Sar uptake in control vesicles, but the inhibition was significantly reduced in DFP-treated vesicles. DFP inhibited the activity of dipeptidyl peptidase IV in these vesicles and there was a direct correlation between the activity of the enzyme and the capacity of beta-casomorphin to inhibit Gly-Sar uptake. Many di- and tripeptides reduced the uptake of Gly-Sar and the uptake of radiolabel from beta-[3H]casomorphin to a similar extent. We conclude that beta-casomorphin is hydrolyzed by dipeptidyl peptidase IV and the products are transported into the vesicles by the H+ gradient-driven peptide transport system. This conclusion is supported by the results from the analysis of the incubation medium by high-performance liquid chromatography that showed rapid hydrolysis of the pentapeptide by brush-border membranes to di- and tripeptides.

T-kininogenase (T-kgnase) activity has been investigated in tissues of the rat and submandibular glands of the rat, mouse and guinea pig. Both rat and mouse submandibular homogenates showed high T-kgnase activity. The enzyme has been purified 360-fold from rat submandibular gland homogenate supematant fluid. The enzyme has an apparent molecular mass of 28 kDa and a pH optimum of 8.0 toward T-kininogen. It cleaved T-kininogen in catalytic quantities to release T-kinin (Ile-Ser-bradykinin) and small quantities of bradykinin and an unknown kinin. The activity of the enzyme was increased lo-fold in the presence of thiol groups (dithiothreitol) and inhibited by leupeptin (90%) and to a lesser extent by aprotinin (49%), TLCK (46%) and soybean trypsin inhibitor (27%). Pepstatin and PMSF did not inhibit the enzyme. Studies on substrate specificity, pH optimum and agents which inhibit T-kgnase activity demonstrate that this enzyme is different from plasma and tissue kallikreins, cathepsin D, esterase A and esterase B (other known kininogenases). It is the first thiol-activated kininogenase to be reported.

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