ABSTRACT
Some of the morphological changes commonly ascribed to aging elastic tissue and also recognized in the atherosclerotic vessel wall concern the elastic lamellae: fragmentation, fraying, irregularity, and flattening. 1 , 2 The role of elastases in these phenomena has been suspected for decades. Incubation of aorta segments with porcine pancreatic elastase was shown to produce similar effects. 3 , 4 The presence of elastinolytic activity in arterial wall extracts was reported by Loeven and was attributed to the synergestic action of enzymes designated as “elastomucase”, “elastolipoproteinase”, and/or “elastoproteinase”. 5
