PAF-acether-induced release of tissue-type plasminogen activator from vessel walls.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF-acether; 1-0-octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine) induced the release of plasminogen activator in rat, both in vivo and in perfused hind legs. The released plasminogen activator was shown by immunologic and functional criteria to be tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). Release of t-PA by PAF-acether could be inhibited by phospholipase inhibitors and by lipoxygenase inhibitors, but not by cyclooxygenase inhibitors. It is suggested that PAF-acether induces the release of t-PA from vascular endothelial cells by the (calcium-dependent) activation of a phospholipase-lipoxygenase pathway.