Plasminogen activators in nude mice xenotransplanted with human tumorigenic cells.

Nude mice have been subcutaneously inoculated with human tumorigenic fibrosarcoma cells (HT-1080) producing urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) or with human tumorigenic melanoma cells (G-361) producing tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). Human u-PA (hu-PA) and t-PA (ht-PA) were found in the plasma and in the tumors of mice injected with HT-1080 or G-361 cells, respectively. Metastases containing ht-PA were observed in different organs of mice transplanted with G-361 cells, while mice injected with HT-1080 cells did not develop metastases. These data would suggest a relationship between the metastatic potential of G-361 cells and t-PA. The parallel increase of the levels of endogenous murine PAs (m-PA) activities might play a crucial role in the early stages of tumor growth and metastasis, since the biological effects of the PAs produced by the transplanted tumor cells can not be dissociated from those of the PAs induced in the host.