Perfused rat hindlegs. A model to study plasminogen activator release.

This study concerns the release of tissue-type plasminogen activator activity into perfusates of isolated rat hindlegs. Activator release could be induced by a variety of compounds, of which thrombin, bradykinin and eledoisin proved the most potent. The maximum release obtained was approximately 6 Ploug Units/minute. After a five-minute period of stimulation of release by a compound, a second stimulation period using the same compound appeared less effective. In contrast, during a subsequent stimulation period activator releases by various unrelated compounds were not diminished but, occasionally, slightly enhanced. Correlation between the capacity of compounds for the inducement of activator release in the perfused vascular bed, and in vivo was good.