Large chondroitinsulphate‐containing proteoglycan (versican) isolated from rabbit lung was cleaved by purified gelatinase A (MMP‐2) and gelatinase B (MMP‐9), as well as by crude enzyme extract from rabbit lung with hydraulic edema. Gelatine zymography, performed after purification of gelatinases by affinity chromatography, demonstrated that the enzyme extract contained two main gelatinolytic bands at about 92 kDa and 72 kDa, identified by specific antisera as the latent proMMP‐9 and proMMP‐2, respectively. Moreover, enzyme extract from edematous lung showed an increased amount of the proteolytically activated forms of both gelatinases with respect to normal controls. These results suggest that MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 are involved in the breakdown of versican occurring in rabbit lung during the development of hydraulic edema.