Sex-related differences of plasminogen activator activity and plasminogen activator inhibition in the gastric wall after chronic ethanol consumption: effect of orchidectomy or ovariectomy.

Plasminogen activator activity (PAA), tissue-type PA (t-PA) antigen level, plasminogen activator inhibition (PAI), and plasmin inhibition (PI) showed no sex-dependent differences in the stomach of the rat. Chronic ethanol consumption induced an increase of PAA and t-PA antigen and a decrease of PAI (urokinase-type PA [u-PAI]) and PI in the body and pyloric region (PI only in the pyloric region). PAA increase and u-PAI decrease in the pyloric region were greater in the male than in the female. Orchidectomy, but not ovariectomy, induced effects similar to those of ethanol. The effects of orchidectomy and chronic ethanol consumption on gastric PAA, t-PA antigen, and PAI were additive. An increased PAA and decreased PAI or PI in the stomach in cases of hypogonadism, particularly if this deficiency is combined with chronic ethanol consumption, might influence the susceptibility to pathological conditions related to or affected by the local fibrinolytic activity (PAA, PAI, or PI).