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A straightforward in vivo model of collagen degradation is described that can be used to measure the effects of different classes of proteinase inhibitors. Air pouches, formed subcutaneously in the dorsal thoracic region of rats, were inflamed 6 to 8 days later by injecting lambda-type carrageenan. 14C-Collagen was injected into the air pouches either 1 day before or 1 day after lambda-carrageenan-induced inflammation: in the latter case, the inflammatory exudate fluid was drained from the air pouches immediately prior to administering 14C-collagen. Ninety percent of the 14C-collagen was degraded and cleared within 3 days from pre-inflamed air pouches, but degradation was much slower from the post-inflamed or non-inflamed air pouches. Proteinase inhibitors injected simultaneously with the 14C-collagen, and again 6 hr later, reduced the extent of 14C-collagen degradation from air pouches measured after 24 hr. Forty-two percent of the degradation of 14C-collagen could be inhibited by a mixture of enzyme inhibitors (leupeptin, alpha 1-anti-proteinase, aprotinin, and pepstatin) injected together with 1,10 phenanthroline, the zinc metalloenzyme inhibitor. The 1,10 phenanthroline alone caused a 33% inhibition of 14C-collagen degradation, and the inhibitor mixture given alone inhibited 14C-collagen loss by 25%. Approximately 60% of the degradation of 14C-collagen in this model was mediated by mechanisms resistant to this combination of proteinase inhibitors, which may indicate the significant involvement of non-enzymic modalities, or degradation in intracellular compartments inaccessible to extracellular agents.