Lathyrism: mini-review and a comment on the lack of effect of protease inhibitors on osteolathyrism.

Lathyrism has been reviewed in respect to four overlapping phases: finding an animal model for neurolathyrism, characterizing osteolathyrism in respect to its possible use as an animal model for human diseases, such as Marfan's syndrome, idiopathic juvenile scoliosis, etc., use of beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) as a tool to study collagen, and use of BAPN as a therapeutic agent in man. Because it has been suggested that the lathyrogen, BAPN, may stimulate the release of proteases, the protease inhibitors Trasylol and epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) were given alone or in combination to BAPN-treated rats. The protease inhibitors did not reduce the effects of BAPN as measured by exostosis formation or collagen extractability.