title: Rt-PA causes a significant increase in endogenous u-PA during experimental focal cerebral ischemia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of exogenous recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) on the endogenous cerebral plasminogen-plasmin system in focal ischemia in rats. Ischemia was induced using the suture model. Each group of rats (n = 6) received either treatment (0.9, 9 or 18 mg rt-PA/kg body weight) or saline (control group) at the end of ischemia; a sham-operated group was added. The activity of the plasminogen activators was measured by casein-dependent plasminogen zymography. In the cortex urokinase (u-PA) rose from sham (no ischemia), 91 +/- 7% to ischemia, 176 +/- 10% (P < 0.005). Increasing rt-PA doses led to further significant (P < 0.001) cortical u-PA activation which was maximal at 18 mg: 249 +/- 13%. An extreme increase in the u-PA activity was observed in the basal ganglia to 1019 +/- 22% (P < 0.001). This increase was further aggravated by higher rt-PA doses (18 mg, 1236 +/- 15%; P < 0.001). The t-PA level did not change I3R24 during (3 h ischemia followed by reperfusion for 24 h); however, during low and moderate doses of rt-PA, endogenous t-PA was reduced. In conclusion, while ischemia leads to a significant increase in u-PA, mainly in the basal ganglia, t-PA is not altered. Increasing doses of rt-PA lead to a further elevation of u-PA. Thus, u-PA seems to play a major role in the endogenous plasminogen activator system following focal cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Klinikum Grosshadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Dorothe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burggraf
authors.forename: Helge K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wunderlich
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: Gerhard F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Hamann
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000201:enzymology*; D002364:Caseins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010958:Plasminogen; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator