Collagenolysis of rat tail tendons by crude corneal collagenase and clostridiopeptidase A.

An experimental apparatus, which uses freshly collected, nondenatured rat tail tendons as substrate against crude corneal collagenase from alkali-burned rabbit corneas and clostridiopeptidase A, is introduced. The apparatus makes it possible to compare the collagenolytic activity of the two enzymes directly on intact connective tissue similar to intact corneal tissue. It was found that the two enzymes were able to reduce the tensile strength of rat tail tendons to less than 100 g in less than 5 h. The two enzymes attacked the tendons in structurally the same manner, estimated from a statistical model. The conclusion drawn is that crude corneal collagenase can degradate intact connective tissue indicating that it can attack the intact cornea.