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1 Collagen degradation products (CDP) resulting from bacterial collagenase digestion were fractionated by gel filtration and their biological activities in rats were estimated. 2 CDP induced the following kinin-like effects: increase in permeability of skin blood vessels, contraction of the isolated intestine of the rat, depression of locomotor activity and of motor coordination. 3 The most active CDP fraction was CDP III containing peptides of mol. wt. < 1000 D with a high percentage of hydroxyproline. 4 As compared with bradykinin, CDP III was less active in the skin permeability test and was 15,000 to 20,000 fold less effective in induction of isolated intestine contraction. 5 Depression of the CNS induced by 30 microgram of CDP III administered into the brain ventricle was similar to that observed after 4 microgram of bradykinin given by the same route. 6 CDP III prolonged the duration of sleep evoked by thiopentone and enhanced the threshold of convulsion induced by pentazol. 7 The activity of CDP in comparison to other low molecular weight peptides is discussed.

The effect of collagen degradation products by bacterial (BCDP) and synovial fluid collagenase (SCDP) on histamine release from peritoneal mast cells of rat was estimated. Some BCDP as well as SCDP released 60-80% of mast cell histamine. In BCDP fraction the most active were BCDP II (m.wt. 13 kD) and BCDP III (m.wt. 6 kD). The last contained the highest percentage of hydroxyproline. As compared with bradykinin, BCDP III was about 50 fold more active as histamine releaser.