Effect of papain on experimental amyloidosis

Summary Experimental amyloidosis was induced in mice by repeated injections of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) reinforced with a bacterial vaccine. Papain was administered i.p. at various time intervals during the treatment with CFA. Amyloidosis was found only in the spleen and the liver. No statistically significant differences were found between the papain-treated and the control groups. It is assumed that, although papain released the polysaccharide moiety from the polysaccharide protein complex, the released polysaccharides were most probably bound by electrostatic forces to the amyloid fibres, and did not interfere with amyloidogenesis.