Mechanisms involved in enhancement of plasma fibrinolytic activity by chloroform

The effects of a single 1-min extraction with chloroform (CHCl3) on plasma fibrinolytic activity has been examined by 125I-fibrin solid phase assay, using normal plasma and plasma depleted of plasminogen (PLG) by lysine-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Fibrinolytic activity of normal plasma is increased (40%-175%), and more than 95% of antiplasmin activity is removed. The increase is demonstrable in PLG-depleted plasma, and is not inhibited by tranexamic acid (0.01 M). Purified PLG is not activated to plasmin by ChCl3 treatment. Bio-Gel A 0.5 m fractionation of CHCl3-extracted, PLG-depleted plasma reveals fractions with the following activities: (1) streptokinase-activatable, PLG-independent fibrinolytic activities; (2) PLG activator activities; and (3) plasmin-stimulated but PLG-independent fibrinolytic activities, which include activities inhibited by hexadimethrine bromide and which cofractionate in part with plasmin-stimulated procoagulant activities. In addition, similar fractionation of nonextracted plasma reveals two non-plasmin fibrinolytic activities (approximately 30,000 and 13,000 daltons) activated by streptokinase and plasmin, respectively. The findings indicate that the enhanced fibrinolytic activity resulting from CHCl3 treatment is independent of plasmin as the ultimate fibrinolytic enzyme, although activities stimulated by plasmin may contribute, and that such treatment is a useful maneuver for study of PLG-dependent and PLG-independent fibrinolytic mechanisms, and their interactions.