The effect of dexamethasone on tissue fibrinolytic system in male and female rats.
BACKGROUND
Dexamethasone in low and high doses affects blood fibrinolytic activity both in animals and humans. In this study the effect of a high dose of dexamethasone on plasminogen activator activity (PAA), t-PA antigen level, plasminogen activator inhibition (PAI) and plasmin inhibition (Pl) in rat heart, brain, liver, lungs and kidneys was investigated in both sexes.


METHODS
Twenty male and twenty female adult Wistar rats were used. Dexamethasone was administered as a single intraperitoneal injection (3mg/kg/day) in rats, once daily, for a period of 5 consecutive days. t-PA antigen level was assayed by an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay method. PAA, PAI and Pl were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The plasminogen used was isolated from rat plasma.


RESULTS
Dexamethasone induced variable changes in the fibrinolytic parameters in rat heart, brain and liver of both sexes; in lungs and kidneys dexamethasone had no effect.


CONCLUSIONS
These changes of PAA, PAI and t-PA antigen level in heart, brain and liver induced by dexamethasone might be of importance regarding the involvement of glucocorticoids and plasminogen activators/plasmin in many pathophysiological conditions.
Tsantarliotou
M
M
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Taitzoglou
I
I
Kokolis
N
N
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen; D003907:Dexamethasone; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D005341:Fibrinolysin