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The effects of components of the salivary gland secretion (proteases and protease inhibitors) of the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) on the growth of neurites of sensory neurons from chick embryos (10-11 days old) were studied in organotypic cultures. Destabilase and high-molecular-weight bdellin B, (0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.1 ng/ml), bdellastasin (0.02 and 0.05 ng/ml), and eglin C (0.1 ng/ml) had neurite-stimulating effects on day 3 of cultivation of spinal ganglia. Identification of the neurite-stimulating activity of these components of medicinal leech salivary gland secretions creates the basis for creating new therapeutic agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

The effects of components from medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) salivary gland secretions and the therapeutic agent Piyavit on the growth of chick embryo neurites in organotypic culture were studied. Native destabilase and bdellin A at concentrations of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.1 ng/ml, bdellin B at a concentration of 0.05 ng/ml, and eglin at a concentration of 0.1 ng/ml had neurite-stimulating activity, evident on the third day of organotypic culture of spinal ganglia. The stimulatory activity of destabilase was lost after revere-phase chromatography. The neurite-stimulating activity of the extract of the therapeutic agent Piyavit (200 ng/ml) in organotypic ganglion culture appeared to result from the neurite-stimulating salivary gland components within this agent, suggesting that Piyavit could be used for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Components of leech (Hirudo medicinalis) salivary gland secretion (high molecular mass bdelin B, bdellastasin, eglin C, destabilize) were used to investigate their neurotrophic effect on organotypic culture of dorsal root ganglia of the 10-11-day old chicken embryos. Destabilize and high molecular mass bdelin B in concentrations of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1 ng/ml, bdellastasin in concentrations of 0.02 and 0.05 ng/ml, eglin C in concentrations of 0.1 ng/ml exhibit neurite-stimulating effect as compared to the control.

The medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis produces various types of proteinase inhibitors: bdellins (inhibitors of trypsin, plasmin, and acrosin), hirustasin (inhibitor of tissue kallikrein, trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and granulocyte cathepsin G), tryptase inhibitor, eglins (inhibitors of alpha-chymotrypsin, subtilisin, and chymasin and the granulocyte proteinases elastase and cathepsin G), inhibitor of factor Xa, hirudin (thrombin inhibitor), inhibitor of carboxypeptidase, and inhibitor of complement component C1s. This review summarizes data on their primary and tertiary structures, action mechanisms, and biological activities.

Effects of destabilise, bdellin, bdellin A, eglin were investigated in organotypic tissue culture of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of 10-11-day old chick embryos. Native destabilase and bdellin A, bdellin B and eglin are more active inducing a more intensive neurite growth in DRG as compared with the control. A neurite-stimulating effect of the drug "pyjavit" seems to be associated with destabilase, bdellins and eglin neurite-stimulating activity.