Modulation of the plasminogen activation system in murine macrophages.

We have dissected the state of fibrinolytic balance in the C57/BL mouse macrophages, by means of immunotrap assays and zymography. We have monitored the individual changes of plasminogen activator (PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activities of cellular lysates and secretions of these macrophages, after they were stimulated by various exogenous agents. The resident peritoneal macrophages were found to have very little PA but high level of PAI, and are therefore highly anti-fibrinolytic in nature. Upon stimulation by thioglycollate, PA activity increased and PAI activity decreased, thus raising the fibrinolytic balance in these macrophages. Upon incubation of resident or thioglycollate-activated macrophages by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the PA level was depressed while the PAI level was increased, resulting in a large drop in the total fibrinolytic balance of the activated cells. When resident or thioglycollate-activated macrophages were incubated with the anti-inflammatory agent dexamethasone, the drug depressed both the expressions of PA and PAI, in the lysate and conditioned medium of both cell types. Thus cell-bound or secreted forms of macrophage PA and PAI activities were either increased or decreased in response to thioglycollate, LPS or dexamethasone challenge. The changes in PA and PAI resulted in different state of fibrinolytic balance in macrophages, and could be related to the different functions of these macrophages at different stages of their development.