Evaluation of macrophage procoagulant and fibrinolytic activities induced by peritoneal dialysis solutions

To investigate the coagulant and fibrinolytic potential of peritoneal macrophages, after short-term exposure to dialysis solutions intraperitoneal (IP) injection of these hyperosmolar glucose solutions was performed in rats. During the 72-hour postinjection period, the dialysis solutions and, as controls, Ringer's lactate and Ringer's lactate-glucose all induced a similar increase in the number of polymorphonuclear cells and macrophages within a maximum of 24 or 48 hours after their IP injection. These findings demonstrate that IP injection of any dialysis solution results in a moderate non-specific inflammatory cell harvesting. Compared with activity induced by the control solutions, no significant increase of procoagulant and fibrinolytic activities, identified respectively by the presence of thromboplastin and plasminogen activator, was observed in peritoneal macrophages obtained 48 hours after injection of the solution with the highest glucose concentration. However, the level of procoagulant activity could increase as a result of different manufacturers' processing of the solutions. That the basal level of macrophage functions may be modified suggests that this cell may initiate coagulolytic conditions in the peritoneal cavity, especially in the course of IP injection of dialysis solutions.