The distribution of procoagulant and plasminogen activator activities among density fractions of normal rabbit alveolar macrophages.

Rabbit alveolar macrophages can directly stimulate either coagulation or fibrinolysis by producing tissue thromboplastin and plasminogen activator activities, respectively. However, it is not known whether these 2 opposed physiologic activities are expressed by the same or different cells within a population of alveolar macrophages. This study was undertaken to determine the distribution of procoagulant and plasminogen activator activities among density-defined populations of rabbit alveolar macrophages. Normal rabbit alveolar macrophages were separated into 4 density fractions on continuous gradients of Percoll, and the distribution of procoagulant and plasminogen activator activities among these fractions was determined. The procoagulant activity of the least dense cells (Fraction 1) was as much as 6 times greater than the activity displayed by denser cells (Fractions 2 to 4). By contrast, both cell-associated and secreted plasminogen activator activities were equally and uniformly distributed among all density fractions. These distributions of activities among density fractions persisted after the cells were incubated in culture medium for 24 h. After culture in vitro with lymphokine, procoagulant activity increased in the denser cells so that the activity became equal among all density fractions. We conclude that procoagulant activity distributes differently from plasminogen activator activity among fractions of normal rabbit alveolar macrophages separated according to cell density. By using density gradient fractionation, alveolar macrophages with predominantly procoagulant or plasminogen activator activities can be enriched from the lavage cell population; the dissimilar distribution of these 2 activities within the alveolar macrophage cell population does not reflect the presence of cells with fixed differences in their functional capacities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)