THE ACTIVITY OF A SINGLE CHAIN rt-PA MUTANT IN A PRIMATES AND RABBITS

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Hotchkiss ◽  
G Knitter ◽  
L DeGuzman ◽  
C Rsfino
Keyword(s):  
Clearance Rate ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Venous Shunt ◽  
Chain Form

Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator(rt-PA) contains a plasmin sensitive peptide bond domain between amino acids (AAs) 275 and 276. Since the single chain form of rt-PA is rapidly clipped to the two chain form during thrombolysis, one way to determine the relative activities of single chain and two chain rt-PA is to produce a mutant which no longer has this clip site; therefore, a single AA substitution was made at position 275, replacing Glu for Arg (Tate, et al., Biochemistry 1987, in Press). The thrombolytic activity of this mutant (Glu275) was compared to the activity of the wild type rt-PA (Arg275) in a new primate thrombolysis model.An arterio-venous shunt model (Hotchkiss et al, this meeting) was used. Various doses of the rt-PAs were infused over a 90 min period with 10% of the total dose administered as an initial bolus. The rate and extent of thrombolysis were quantitated by the measurement of radioactivity remaining in the thrombus at 15, 30, 60 and 90 min, using an external probe. Data were collected from 5 cyncmolgus monkeys (male 5 to 6 kg). The dose response curves were used to determine the ED40 (dose for 40% clot lysis). The ED40 for Arg275 and Glu275 wire 870 and 680 (ugAg)r respectively. The plasna concentrations of rt-PA were measured at plateau for various doses and the regression of the plasma concentrations (Y,ng/ml) versus the dose rates (X, ug/kg/min) was calculated. The regression equations were; Y=28+51X and Y=39+113X for Arg275 and Glu275, respectively. This indicates that the clearance rate of Glu275 is 2.2 fold slower than Arg275.These experiments were also performed in rabbits. The ED40 for Arg275 and Glu275 were 740 and 660 (ug/kg) respectively. The Glu275 was cleared more slowly, having a 1.7 fold slower clearance rate.These results support the conclusion, that the "one chain" Glu275 rt-PA is still active in vivo and that it is slightly more potent than the wild type in these animal models. Some of this increase in potency is apparently due to a slower clearance rate for the Glu275 rt-PA.

Effect of Fibrin-Like Stimulators on the Activation of Plasminogen by Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator (t-PA) - Studies with Active Site Mutagenized Plasminogen and Plasmin Resistant t-PA

1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (01) ◽  
pp. 061-068 ◽  
Author(s):  
H R Lijnen ◽  
B Van Hoet ◽  
F De Cock ◽  
D Collen
Keyword(s):  
Active Site ◽  
Peptide Bond ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Plasmin Activity ◽  
Soluble Fibrin ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Presence And Absence ◽  
Chain Form

SummaryThe activation of plasminogen by t-PA was measured in the presence and absence of fibrin stimulation, using natural human plasminogen (nPlg) and rPlg-Ala740, a recombinant plasminogen with the active site Ser740 mutagenaed to Ala. Recombinant wild type t-PA (rt-PA) was used as well as rt-PA -Glul275, a recombinant single chain t-PA in which the Arg of the plasmin sensitiv e Arg275- Ile276 peptide bond was substituted with Glu. Conversion of 125I-labeled single chain plasminogen to two-chain plasmin by wild-type or mutant t-PA, was quantitated by SDS gel electrophoresis and radioisotope counting of gel slices, and expressed as initial activation rates (v0 in pM s−1) per 1 μM enzyme. In the absence of fibrin stimulation, the vs for the activation of nPlg and rPlg-Ala740 with the single chain forms of both t-PAs were comparable (0.6 to 2.7 pM s−1) but were lower than with the corresponding two-chain forms (5.3 to 23 pM s−1). In the presence of 1 μM soluble fibrin monomer (desAAfibrin), the v0 for nPlg and rPlg-Ala740 by single chain rt-PA was also comparable (24 and, 33 pM s-1 respectively), whereas with 1 pM CNBr-digested fibrinogen, the vs for nPlg with single chain rt-PA was about 20-fold higher than that of rPlg-Ala740 (135 and 7.5 pM s−1 respectively). In contrast, the vs for nPlg and rPlg-Ala740 by single chain rt-PA- G1u275, two-chain rt-PA-G1u275 or two-chain rt-PA were comparable in the presence of either desAAfibrin or CNBr-digested fibrinogen.These findings confirm and establish: 1) that single chain t-PA is an active enzyme both in the presence and absence of fibrin stimulator; 2) that, in a system devoid of plasmin activity (rPlg- Ala740), the two-chain form of t-PA is about L5 times more active than the single chain form in the absence of fibrin but equipotent in the presence of desAAfibrin; and 3) that the mechanism of stimulation of plasminogen activation with single chain t-PA by CNBr-digested fibrinogen is different from that by soluble fibrin.

Substitution of Serine or Threonine at Position 473 of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator Increases its Stability in Plasma

1996 ◽  
Vol 75 (01) ◽  
pp. 107-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murtaza Alibhai ◽  
Alice M Chow ◽  
Nicholas F Paoni
Keyword(s):  
Clearance Rate ◽  
Order Rate Constant ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Plasma Clot ◽  
Double Mutation ◽  
Lysis Activity ◽  
Inhibitor Resistance

SummaryInactivation by slow acting inhibitors in plasma is of little consequence for thrombolysis with wild type t-PA, since it is rapidly cleared from the blood stream and constantly replenished through infusion. However, it becomes increasingly important as the clearance rate of t-PA is reduced, through mutagenesis, to enable the molecule to be long acting and administered by a single bolus injection. The substitution of serine for alanine at position 473 substantially reduced the slow inactivation that occurs at pharmacological levels of t-PA in plasma. Approximately 70% of the activity of A473S remained after 4 h incubation in human plasma compared to approximately 25% for wild type t-PA. Wild type t-PA and A473S showed the same stability in alpha-2-antiplasmin depleted plasma, indicating that the resistance of A473S to inactivation is a result of reduced reactivity towards alpha-2-antiplasmin, the primary slow acting inhibitor of t-PA. The second order rate constant for the inactivation of A473S by purified alpha-2-antiplasmin was approximately 4 fold less than that of wild type t-PA, which is consistent with the results obtained in plasma. Substitution of threonine at position 473 also produced inhibitor resistance, but glycine did not. The substitution of charged or bulky residues at position 473 destroyed enzymatic activity. The mechanism of inhibitor resistance for A473S and A473T appears to be a reduced reactivity towards substrates with arginine at the PI position. The A473S mutation adds well to T103N, a mutation that causes an approximate 9 fold reduction in the clearance rate of t-PA. The double mutation variant, T103N, A473S had normal plasma clot lysis activity, and was stable in plasma over a 4 h incubation period at 37° C in vitro.

Fibrin-specificity of a Plasminogen Activator Affects the Efficiency of Fibrinolysis and Responsiveness to Ultrasound: Comparison of Nine Plasminogen Activators In Vitro

1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (04) ◽  
pp. 605-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitry V. Sakharov ◽  
Marrie Barrett-Bergshoeff ◽  
Rob T. Hekkenberg ◽  
Dingeman C. Rijken
Keyword(s):  
Thrombolytic Therapy ◽  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Bolus Administration ◽  
High Frequency Ultrasound ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Maximal Speed ◽  
Frequency Ultrasound

SummaryIn a number of cases, thrombolytic therapy fails to re-open occluded blood vessels, possibly due to the occurrence of thrombi resistant to lysis. We investigated in vitro how the lysis of hardly lysable model thrombi depends on the choice of the plasminogen activator (PA) and is accelerated by ultrasonic irradiation. Lysis of compacted crosslinked human plasma clots was measured after addition of nine different PAs to the surrounding plasma and the effect of 3 MHz ultrasound on the speed of lysis was assessed.Fibrin-specific PAs showed bell-shaped dose-response curves of varying width and height. PAs with improved fibrin-specificity (staphylokinase, the TNK variant of tissue-type PA [tPA], and the PA from the saliva of the Desmodus rotundus bat) induced rapid lysis in concentration ranges (80-, 260-, and 3,500-fold ranges, respectively) much wider than that for tPA (a 35-fold range). However, in terms of speed of lysis, these three PAs exceeded tPA only slightly. Reteplase and single-chain urokinase were comparable to tPA, whereas two-chain urokinase, anistreplase, and streptokinase were inferior to tPA. In the case of fibrin-specific PAs, ultrasonic treatment accelerated lysis about 1.5-fold. For streptokinase no acceleration was observed. The effect of ultrasound correlated with the presence of plasminogen in the outer plasma, suggesting that it was mediated by facilitating the transport of plasminogen to the surface of the clot.In conclusion, PAs with improved fibrin-specificity induce rapid lysis of plasminogen-poor compacted plasma clots in much wider concentration ranges than tPA. This offers a possibility of using single-or double-bolus administration regimens for such PAs. However, it is not likely that administration of these PAs will directly cause a dramatic increase in the rate of re-opening of the occluded arteries since they are only moderately superior to tPA in terms of maximal speed of lysis. Application of high-frequency ultrasound as an adjunct to thrombolytic therapy may increase the treatment efficiency, particularly in conjunction with fibrin-specific PAs.

Differential Role of Components of the Fibrinolytic System in the Formation and Removal of Thrombus Induced by Endothelial Injury

1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (04) ◽  
pp. 601-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Matsuno ◽  
Osamu Kozawa ◽  
Masayuki Niwa ◽  
Shigeru Ueshima ◽  
Osamu Matsuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Thrombus Formation ◽  
Endothelial Injury ◽  
Fibrinolytic System ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Pai 1

SummaryThe role of fibrinolytic system components in thrombus formation and removal in vivo was investigated in groups of six mice deficient in urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), or plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) (u-PA-/-, t-PA-/- or PAI-1-/-, respectively) or of their wild type controls (u-PA+/+, t-PA+/+ or PAI-1+/+). Thrombus was induced in the murine carotid artery by endothelial injury using the photochemical reaction between rose bengal and green light (540 nm). Blood flow was continuously monitored for 90 min on day 0 and for 20 min on days 1, 2 and 3. The times to occlusion after the initiation of endothelial injury in u-PA+/+, t-PA+/+ or PAI-1+/+ mice were 9.4 ± 1.3, 9.8 ± 1.1 or 9.7 ± 1.6 min, respectively. u-PA-/- and t-PA-/- mice were indistinguishable from controls, whereas that of PAI-1-/- mice were significantly prolonged (18.4 ± 3.7 min). Occlusion persisted for the initial 90 min observation period in 10 of 18 wild type mice and was followed by cyclic reflow and reocclusion in the remaining 8 mice. At day 1, persistent occlusion was observed in 1 wild type mouse, 8 mice had cyclic reflow and reocclusion and 9 mice had persistent reflow. At day 2, all injured arteries had persistent reflow. Persistent occlusion for 90 min on day 0 was observed in 3 u-PA-/-, in all t-PA-/- mice at day 1 and in 2 of the t-PA-/-mice at day 2 (p <0.01 versus wild type mice). Persistent patency was observed in all PAI-1-/- mice at day 1 and in 5 of the 6 u-PA-/- mice at day 2 (both p <0.05 versus wild type mice). In conclusion, t-PA increases the rate of clot lysis after endothelial injury, PAI-1 reduces the time to occlusion and delays clot lysis, whereas u-PA has little effect on thrombus formation and spontaneous lysis.

Expression and Characterization of Clustered Charge-to-Alanine Mutants of Low Mr Single-Chain Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

1994 ◽  
Vol 71 (01) ◽  
pp. 134-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Ueshima ◽  
P Holvoet ◽  
H R Lijnen ◽  
L Nelles ◽  
V Seghers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Solvent Accessibility ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Charged Amino Acids ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Urokinase Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Pharmacokinetic Properties

SummaryIn an effort to modify the fibrinolytic and/or pharmacokinetic properties of recombinant low M r single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (rscu-PA-32k), mutants were prepared by site-directed mutagenesis of clusters of charged amino acids with the highest solvent accessibility. The following mutants of rscu-PA-32k were prepared: LUK-2 (Lys 212, Glu 213 and Asp 214 to Ala), LUK-3 (Lys 243 and Asp 244 to Ala), LUK-4 (Arg 262, Lys 264, Glu 265 and Arg 267 to Ala), LUK-5 (Lys 300, Glu 301 and Asp 305 to Ala) and LUK-6 (Arg 400, Lys 404, Glu 405 and Glu 406 to Ala).The rscu-PA 32k moictic3 were expressed in High Five Ttichoplasiani cells, and purified to humugciicily from the conditioned cell culture medium, with recoveries of 0.8 to 3.7 mg/1. The specific fibrinolytic activities (220,000 to 300,000 IU/mg), the rates of plasminogen activation by the single-chain moieties and the rates of conversion In lwo chain moieties by plasmin were comparable for mutant and wild-type rscu PA 32k moieties, with the exception of LUK-5 which was virtually inactive. Equi-effective lysis (50% in 2 h) of 60 pi 125I-fibrin labeled plasma clots submerged in 0.5 ml normal human plasma was obtained with 0.7 to 0.8 μg/ml of wild-type or mutant rscu-PA-3?.k, except with LUK-5 (no significant lysis with 16 pg/ml). Following bolus injection in hamsters, all rscu-PA-32k moieties had a comparably rapid plasma clearance (1.3 to 2.7 ml/min), as a result of a short initial half-life (1.4 to 2.5 min). In hamsters with pulmonary embolism, continuous intravenous infusion over 60 min at a dose of 1 mg/kg, resulted in 53 to 72% clot lysis with the mutants, but only 23% with LUK-5, as compared to 36% for wild-type rscu-PA-32k.These data indicate that clustered charge-to-alanine mutants of rscu-PA-32k, designed to eliminate charged regions with the highest solvent accessibility, do not have significantly improved functional, fibrinolytic or pharmacokinetic properties.

Recombinant Variants of Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Containing Amino Acid Substitutions in the Finger Domain

1992 ◽  
Vol 68 (06) ◽  
pp. 672-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitoshi Yahara ◽  
Keiji Matsumoto ◽  
Hiroyuki Maruyama ◽  
Tetsuya Nagaoka ◽  
Yasuhiro Ikenaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Plasma Clot ◽  
Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator

SummaryTissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is a fibrin-specific agent which has been used to treat acute myocardial infarction. In an attempt to clarify the determinants for its rapid clearance in vivo and high affinity for fibrin clots, we produced five variants containing amino acid substitutions in the finger domain, at amino acid residues 7–9, 10–14, 15–19, 28–33, and 37–42. All the variants had a prolonged half-life and a decreased affinity for fibrin of various degrees. The 37–42 variant demonstrated about a 6-fold longer half-life with a lower affinity for fibrin. Human plasma clot lysis assay estimated the fibrinolytic activity of the 37–42 variant to be 1.4-fold less effective than that of the wild-type rt-PA. In a rabbit jugular vein clot lysis model, doses of 1.0 and 0.15 mg/kg were required for about 70% lysis in the wild-type and 37–42 variant, respectively. Fibrinogen was degraded only when the wild-type rt-PA was administered at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg. These findings suggest that the 37–42 variant can be employed at a lower dosage and that it is a more fibrin-specific thrombolytic agent than the wild-type rt-PA.

In Vitro Stability of a Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Mutant, BM 06.022, in Human Plasma

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (06) ◽  
pp. 906-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
D C Rijken ◽  
E Groeneveld ◽  
M M Barrett-Bergshoeff
Keyword(s):  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Sds Page ◽  
Chain Form

SummaryBM 06.022 is a non-glycosylated mutant of human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) comprising only the kringle-2 and proteinase domains. The in vivo half-life of BM 06.022 antigen is 4- to 5-fold longer than that of t-PA antigen. The in vitro half-life of the activity of BM 06.022 at therapeutic concentrations in plasma is shorter than that of t-PA. In this study the inactivation of BM 06.022 in plasma was further investigated.Varying concentrations of BM 06.022 were incubated in plasma for 0-150 min. Activity assays on serial samples showed a dose-dependent decline of BM 06.022 activity with a half-life from 72 min at 0.3 μg/ml to 38 min at 10 μg/ml. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by fibrin autography showed the generation of several BM 06.022-complexes. These complexes could be completely precipitated with antibodies against Cl-inactivator, α2-antiplasmin and α1-antitrypsin.During the incubation of BM 06.022 in plasma, plasmin was generated dose-dependently as revealed by varying degrees of a2-anti-plasmin consumption and fibrinogen degradation. SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting showed that single-chain BM 06.022 was rapidly (i. e. within 45 min) converted into its two-chain form at concentrations of 5 μg/ml BM 06.022 and higher.In conclusion, BM 06.022 at therapeutic concentrations in plasma was inactivated by Cl-inactivator, a2-antiplasmin and a j-antitrypsin. The half-life of the activity decreased at increasing BM 06.022 concentrations, probably as a result of the generation of two-chain BM 06.022 which may be inactivated faster than the single-chain form.

Absence of Synergism Between Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator (t-PA), Single-Chain UrokinaseType Plasminogen Activator (scu-PA) and Urokinase on Clot Lysis in a Plasma Milieu In Vitro

1986 ◽  
Vol 56 (01) ◽  
pp. 035-039 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Collen ◽  
F De Cock ◽  
E Demarsin ◽  
H R Lijnen ◽  
D C Stump
Keyword(s):  
Human Plasma ◽  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Dose Response ◽  
Fibrinolytic System ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator

SummaryA potential synergic effect of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scuPA) or urokinase on clot lysis was investigated in a whole human plasma system in vitro. The system consisted of a human plasma clot labeled with 125I-fibrinogen, immersed in titrated whole human plasma, to which the thrombolytic agents were added. Clot lysis was quantitated by measurement of released 125I, and activation of the fibrinolytic system in the surrounding plasma by measurements of fibrinogen and α2-antiplasmin.t-PA, scu-PA and urokinase induced a dose-dependent and time-dependent clot lysis; 50 percent lysis after 2 h was obtained with 5 nM t-PA, 20 nM scu-PA and 12 nM urokinase. At these concentrations no significant activation of the fibrinolytic system in the plasma was observed with t-PA and scu-PA, whereas urokinase caused significant α2-antiplasmin consumption and concomitant fibrinogen degradation. The shape of the dose-response curves was different; t-PA and urokinase showed a log linear dose-response whereas that of scu-PA was sigmoidal.

ANTITHROMBOTIC EFFECTS OF TISSUE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR AT PHYSIOLOGICAL BLOOD LEVELS

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Witt ◽  
B Baldus ◽  
P Donner
Keyword(s):  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Dose Range ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator

Effective thrombolysis in human patients and experimental animals by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) usually requires t-PA plasma levels in the microgram range. Compared to that physiological plasma levels of t-PA are about 100 - 1000 times lower. To investigate the effects of t-PA at physiological blood levels rat studies were performed in vitro and in vivo employing highly purified recombinant single-chain t-PA (sct-PA: 500,000 IU/mg).t-PA activity in rat whole blood as assessed by dilute blood clot-lysis time (DBC-LT) was increased by addition of sct-PA as low as 3 ng/ml (20 % decrease in DBC-LT). Injection of brady-kinin 10, 100 and 1000 μg/kg i.v. shortened DBC-LT to 54, 23, and 10 % of controls corresponding to the effect of about 10, 30, and 100 ng/ml sct-PA added in vitro. Infusion of sct-PA 15 - 450 μg/kg/h i.v. shortened DBC-LT ex vivo dose-dependently by 20 - 90 % at steady state levels (n = 5). In the same dose range sct-PA inhibited thrombus formation along a silk thread introduced into an arteriovenous shunt in anaesthetized rats. The reduction in thrombus dry weight was dose-dependent amounting to 33 - 67 % of preapplication values (n = 5 - 8) at 15 - 450 μg/kg/h i.v. sct-PA. Already 50 μg/kg/h sct-PA corresponding to a sct-PA activity of about 15 ng/ml displayed a significant (a = 0.05) effect in this model.The results of this study suggest that t-PA present at physiological resting or activation (bradykinin) levels during acute clot formation may have potent antithrombotic efficacy. This study provides further evidence for the importance of a balance coagulation-fibrinolysis which can be influenced on both sides towards thrombophilia as well as to achieve antithrombotic therapy, e.g. by elevating plasma fibrinolytic activity with low-dose t-PA treatment or with drugs which stimulate the endogenous fibrinolytic potential.

scholarly journals Restoration of thrombolytic potential in plasminogen-deficient mice by bolus administration of plasminogen

Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 870-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
HR Lijnen ◽  
P Carmeliet ◽  
A Bouche ◽  
L Moons ◽  
VA Ploplis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bolus Injection ◽  
Fibrin Clot ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Clot Lysis ◽  
Bolus Administration ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Deficient Mice ◽  
Pai 1

Abstract Homozygous plasminogen-deficient (Plg-/-) mice had a significantly reduced thrombolytic capacity toward intravenously injected 125I-fibrin labeled plasma clots prepared from Plg-/- murine plasma (9% +/- 3% lysis after 8 hours; (mean +/- SEM, n = 6), as compared with 82% +/- 8% in wild-type mice; P < .0001). Bolus injection of 1 mg purified murine plasminogen in 10- to 17-week-old Plg-/- mice increased the plasminogen antigen and activity levels at 8 hours to normal levels (130 +/- 5 micrograms/mL). Plasminogen administration was associated with significant restoration of thrombolytic potential (64% +/- 7% spontaneous clot lysis; P < .0001 versus lysis without plasminogen injection). Bolus injection of 1 mg plasminogen in homozygous tissue- type plasminogen activator-deficient (t-PA-/-) mice doubled the plasminogen antigen and activity levels after 8 hours and increased 125I-fibrin clot lysis at 8 hours from 13% +/- 3% to 34% +/- 5% (P = .008). Fibrinogen, t-PA antigen and alpha 2-antiplasmin activity levels after 8 hours were not significantly different in the groups with or without plasminogen injection. Injection of plasminogen induced a variable increase (on average 7- to 10-fold) of PAI-1, but no correlation with the extent of spontaneous clot lysis was observed. Histopathologic examination at the end of the experiments revealed that fibrin deposition in the liver of Plg-/- mice was slightly reduced 8 hours after bolus plasminogen injection (P = .007) and markedly reduced after 24 hours (P < .0001). Plasminogen antigen levels in liver extracts were comparable with those found in wild-type mice at 8 hours (130 +/- 20 versus 110 +/- 15 ng/mg protein) and decreased to 25 +/- 3.2 ng/mg protein at 24 hours. Thus, restoration of normal plasminogen levels in Plg-/- mice normalized the thrombolytic potential toward experimentally induced pulmonary emboli, and resulted in removal of endogenous fibrin deposits within 24 hours.

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