Differential regulation of mesothelial cell fibrinolysis by transforming growth factor beta 1.

Inflammation and tissue trauma during the surgical procedure reduce the peritoneal fibrinolytic capacity. These conditions promote adhesion formation, and are associated with increased expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1). The objective of the present study was to investigate whether TGF-beta1 regulates the expression of fibrinolytic components in peritoneal mesothelial cells. Human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMC) were cultured and treated with various concentrations of human recombinant TGF-beta1 (0.1, 1.0 and 10 ng/mL) for 24 h. Levels of tissue- and urokinase plasminogen activator (t-PA and uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and type-2 (PAI-2) mRNA and protein were assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR) and ELISA, respectively. HPMC expressed these components at the gene and protein level. TGF-beta1 downregulated, dose-dependently t-PA mRNA and protein to about 50% of control values (p = 0.0010), and doubled PAI-1 protein production (p = 0.0008) compared to untreated controls. Although uPA gene expression increased in cells exposed to TGF-beta1, the corresponding protein concentration in conditioned media did not. PAI-2 was not affected, either at the gene or protein level. In conclusion, the results indicate that fibrinolytic capacity of mesothelial cells is reduced by TGF-beta1, suggesting that peritoneal adhesion formation induced by TGF-beta1 may be mediated, in part, through reduction in fibrin degradation capacity at an early stage of peritoneal tissue repair.