Induction of fibrinolysis by polyanions in human plasma.

The fibrinolytic potency of several polyanions was comparatively investigated. Fibrinolytic activity was measured in a whole plasma assay using H-D-Val-Leu-Lys-pNA (S-2251) as chromogenic substrate and by a fibrin plate assay using plasminogen rich fibrin plates. In the chromogenic substrate assay potent fibrinolytic polyanions comprised dextran sulfate, GAGPS, pentosan polysulfate, polyanethol sulfate, l-carrageenan and i-carrageenan. Chondroitin sulfates A, B, C, keratan sulfate, ribonucleic acid, k-carrageenan and heparin were weakly fibrinolytic. Hyaluronic acid and lipopolysaccharide from E. coli were inactive. Similar results were obtained when fibrinolytic activity was measured by a fibrin plate assay. All polyanions except lipopolysaccharide produced lysis zones. Induction of fibrinolytic activity in human plasma was shown to be at least partially dependent on Hageman factor. In factor XII deficient plasma no fibrinolysis was induced by any of the polyanions when measured in the fibrin plate assay. In the chromogenic substrate assay corn Hageman factor inhibitor (CHFI) inhibited the activation of S-2251 cleaving enzyme by GAGPS, pentosan polysulfate, polyanethol sulfate, heparin, and ribonucleic acid near completely. The activation by dextran sulfate was inhibited by 45%. Heparin, pentosan polysulfate and GAGPS, three polyanions of therapeutic interest were separately compared. In both assays GAGPS proved the most potent activator, while pentosan polysulfate exhibited 83% and 44% and heparin 32% and 14% of GAGPS fibrinolytic activity in the chromogenic substrate test and the fibrin plate assay, respectively.