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Human monocytes can produce tissue-type plasminogen activator

P H Hart1, G F Vitti, D R Burgess

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|April 1, 1989
PubMed

Insights

Human monocytes can produce tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) when stimulated in vitro. This finding was confirmed by detecting t-PA messenger RNA (mRNA) in these cells.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Monocytes and macrophages are known to produce urokinase-type plasminogen activator.
  • The production of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) by human monocytes has not been previously established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of human monocytes to produce tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA).
  • To characterize the t-PA produced by stimulated human monocytes in vitro.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro stimulation of human monocytes.
  • Biochemical and immunological characterization of produced plasminogen activator.
  • Detection of messenger RNA (mRNA) for t-PA.

Main Results:

  • Human monocytes, upon appropriate in vitro stimulation, were demonstrated to produce a 70 kD form of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA).
  • The presence of t-PA mRNA in stimulated monocytes confirmed the biochemical and immunological findings.
  • This study provides the first evidence of t-PA production by human monocytes.

Conclusions:

  • Human monocytes are a source of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA).
  • The production of t-PA by monocytes can be induced under specific in vitro conditions.
  • These findings contribute to understanding the role of monocytes in fibrinolysis.

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