Kallikreins
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Related to Kallikreins: Tissue kallikreins
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Kallikreins
enzymes of blood plasma and the tissues of certain organs (kidney, pancreas, salivary glands, intestinal walls) that catalyze a reaction in which the quinines bradykinin and kallidin split off from the inactive protein precursor quinino-gen.
Kallikreins are enzymes of the trypsin type. They have ex-tremely narrow specificity and manifest biological activity char-acteristic of the quinines. A preparation of kallikreins from swinepancreas is used as a vasodilator, especially in disorders of peri-pheral blood circulation.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.