Effective and fibrin-specific clot lysis by a zymogen precursor form of urokinase (pro-urokinase). A study in vitro and in two animal species.
A single-chain 55,000-mol wt form of urokinase (UK), similar to that previously isolated from urine, was purified from a transformed kidney cell culture medium and characterized; and its fibrinolytic properties were evaluated. The preparation immunoprecipitated with UK antiserum, had a low intrinsic amidolytic activity that was 0.1% of its active derivative, and resisted diisopropyl fluorophosphate treatment and inactivation by plasma inhibitors. The single-chain UK was therefore designated pro-UK. In the presence of plasmin and during clot lysis, activation by conversion to two-chain, 55,000-mol wt UK (TC-UK) was demonstrated. This did not occur during blood clotting nor on incubation with purified thrombin. Clot lysis in plasma consistently occurred in 2-5 h with 50-100 IU per ml of pro-UK, whereas comparable lysis was inconsistently achieved by 500-1,000 IU of UK. Pro-UK, in sharp contrast to UK, caused no fibrinogen degradation at fibrinolytic concentrations. In the absence of a clot, pro-UK in plasma was stable for more than 2 d. When a clot was added after incubation (37 degrees C) for 50 h, activation to full lytic activity took place. The findings in vivo were comparable but the rapid clearance of pro-UK required that it be given by a constant infusion despite its plasma stability. In rabbits, a UK-resistant species, pro-UK was significantly (P less than 0.001) more efficacious than TC-UK but neither induced significant fibrinogen degradation. In dogs, a more sensitive species, the high specificity of thrombolysis by pro-UK contrasted with the defibrinogenation and uncontrollable bleeding that accompanied thrombolysis by UK. It was concluded that clot lysis by pro-UK is more effective and specific than UK. The advantage of pro-UK is in the limitation of its activation to the site of a clot. This can be explained by an activation mechanism that is dependent, under physiological conditions, on fibrin-stabilized plasmin.
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005337:Fibrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011817:Rabbits; D013045:Species Specificity; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D005337:Fibrin; D005340:Fibrinogen; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator