Plasminogen activator release from cultured murine mast cells.

Mast cells from the Furth murine mastocytoma tumour line were found to contain significant levels of plasminogen activator (PA). Cultured cells released PA activity into the culture medium in parallel with the release of histamine, and both were proportionately increased following exposure to degranulating agents. Pretreatment of the mast cells with cycloheximide did not alter their total PA content or their ability to release PA. These studies suggest that PA is a prestored granule constituent. The ability of PA to generate plasmin from plasminogen suggests an important role for mast cell PA in fibrinolysis and tissue degradation, observations that have been associated with mast cell degranulation and infiltration in vivo.