Fibrinolytic activity in liver tissues of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

1. Plasminogen activator activity was detected in the extract solution of the liver tissues of both stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats by the synthetic substrate assay. 2. The total PA activity in the liver extract of WKY (26.8 +/- 8.3 i.u.) was about 1.5-fold higher than that of SHRSP (18.5 +/- 4.1 i.u., n = 8, P < 0.005). 3. The enzymography of the liver extract revealed three lytic bands with a molecular weight of 67 kDa, 44 kDa and 38 kDa. 4. The inhibitor activity of the liver extract was detected by the reverse fibrin autography method with one lytic resistance band at 70 kDa. 5. Thus, fibrinolytic components exist in the liver tissue of both strains of rats, but their contribution to the stroke requires further study.