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Endothelium in hemostasis and thrombosis
1Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.
Endothelial cells synthesize and secrete PA and PAI, and thus provide anticoagulant and procoagulant regulatory mechanisms, respectively. Both plasminogen and plasminogen activators (t-PA and u-PA) bind to specific cellular receptors; assembly of components of the fibrinolytic system at the endothelial cell surface results in stimulation of fibrinolytic activity. Several mechanisms contribute to this stimulation, eg, enhanced plasminogen activation by t-PA or u-PA, enhanced conversion of scu-PA to tcu-PA, and impaired inhibition of plasmin by alpha2-antiplasmin or of PAs by PAIs. Thus, the endothelial cell surface serves as a focal point for plasmin generation.
Endothelial cells synthesize and secrete PA and PAI, and thus provide anticoagulant and procoagulant regulatory mechanisms, respectively. Both plasminogen and plasminogen activators (t-PA and u-PA) bind to specific cellular receptors; assembly of components of the fibrinolytic system at the endothelial cell surface results in stimulation of fibrinolytic activity. Several mechanisms contribute to this stimulation, eg, enhanced plasminogen activation by t-PA or u-PA, enhanced conversion of scu-PA to tcu-PA, and impaired inhibition of plasmin by alpha2-antiplasmin or of PAs by PAIs. Thus, the endothelial cell surface serves as a focal point for plasmin generation.