Therapeutic uses of glandular kallikrein

Abstract

An immunosuppressive peptide of 40 kDa molecular weight, isolated from the submandibular glands (SMG*) of rats, had the capacity to suppress immune reactions upon parenteral administration to rats and mice. The peptide was identified as glandular kallikrein (K1) by partial sequencing and by enzymatic activity. Further experiments revealed that the excision of SMG (SMGx) from Lewis rats prevents the oral induction of immunological tolerance against native bovine type II collagen (BCII). Thus SMGx rats, when they were given oral BCII and were subsequently immunized with the same antigen, developed collagen induced arthritis (CA), while normal rats given an identical treatment were protected from the disease. When SMGx rats were orally given porcine K1 in conjunction with BCII, the capacity of such animals to develop oral tolerance was fully restored. These results indicate that normal SMG function is required for the induction of oral tolerance and that K1 is involved in mediating this function.

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