Further characterization of endopeptidase H2 a serine proteinase from human urine.

A human urine serine proteinase chymotrypsin like hydrolyzes the peptide bonds: Phe-Ser (kinin); Gly-Gly, Leu-Arg, Phe-Lys (neuropeptides) and Gln-Gln (substance P). Endopeptidase H2 hydrolyzes better oligopeptides with 4 to 18 aminoacid residues than larger peptides, it does not hydrolyzes kininogen or proenkephalin. The enzyme behaves as an oligoendopeptidase.

Consequences of reversal of hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy by captopril on left ventricular pumping ability and performance.

Left ventricular hypertrophy can be reversed by treatment of hypertension with captopril but the consequences of this regression are not yet fully described. We studied the maximal capacity of the hypertrophied and hypertrophy-reversed ventricle to generate pressure during transient total occlusion of the aorta, and also the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure required to meet this maximal effort. Two-kidney, one clip Goldblatt (renal hypertensive rats; RHR) hypertension was induced in 17 Wistar rats, eight of which were treated with captopril (RHR-C: 50 mg/kg given orally) from the fourth to the eighth week.