Other Notes
Specific inhibitor of aminopeptidase B and leucine aminopeptidase2; Immunomodifier3; other biological effects see4
Biochem/physiol Actions
A metalloprotease inhibitor selective for aminopeptidase. Bestatin is a competitive and specific inhibitor of leucine aminopeptidase, aminopeptidase B, and triamino peptidase. It inhibits aminopeptidase B at 60 nM (using arginine-β-naphthylamide as substrate) and leucine aminopeptidase at 20 nM (leucine-β-naphthylamide as substrate). It showed no inhibition of aminopeptidase A, trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, papain, pepsin, or themolysin. It offers promise as a novel analgesic because it protects endogenous opioid peptides against degradation.1