title: The role of plasminogen activation in smooth muscle cell migration after arterial injury.
abstract: The migration of smooth muscle cells from the media to the intima that occurs after balloon catheter injury to the rat common carotid artery has been quantified by an electron microscopic surveying technique. These vessels have also been assayed for plasminogen-activator activity, which was found to rise sharply 4 days after balloon injury. At this time point smooth muscle cells begin to migrate in appreciable numbers. In order to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between plasminogen-activator activity and smooth muscle cell migration, animals were dosed with tranexamic acid. This synthetic inhibitor of plasmin activity reduced smooth muscle cell migration by 73% (p < 0.05), indicating that plasmin activity is necessary for migration after balloon injury. Lisinopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme, inhibited smooth muscle cell migration after balloon injury by 78% (p < 0.01) but did not influence plasminogen-activator activity. Taken together, these results show that plasmin is a necessary but not sufficient component in the pathway that leads to smooth muscle cell migration after balloon catheter injury in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Reidy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D017706:Lisinopril; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*; D014148:Tranexamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004151:Dipeptides; D014148:Tranexamic Acid; D017706:Lisinopril; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D005341:Fibrinolysin; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator