[The potentiating effects of azathioprine and azapropazone on the enzyme activity in experimental inflammation]

The influence of prednisolone, azathioprine, and azapropazone on the activity of collagen peptidase, acid phosphatase (complete), and the lactate dehydrogenase of granulation tissue was studied using a model of proliferative inflammation i.e. the cotton-granuloma in rats. The authors observed significant decreases in the activities of the collagen peptidase and acid phosphatase during treatment with prednisone and under combined treatment with azathioprine and azapropazone. In contrast, administration of either azathioprine or azapropazone by itself caused no changes in these enzyme activities as compared with a control group. These studies suggest that the last mentioned drugs potentiate each other in their inhibiting effect upon these enzyme activities. Whether or not these findings are of importance in the clinical treatment of chronic bacterial inflammations must be studied in further trials.