Catabolism of human tissue plasminogen activator in mice.

The catabolism of human tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) was studied in mice. The clearance of t-PA labeled with iodine 125 was rapid (t1/2). The clearance of phenylmethylsulfonyl-125I-t-PA, which is active site-inhibited, was identical to the active enzyme. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated that the vast majority of 125I-t-PA injected into the circulation was present as free enzyme and not in a complex with inhibitors. The clearance of 125I-t-PA was unaltered by large molar excesses of several ligands of known clearance specificities, including macroalbumin, asialoorosomucoid, and diisopropylphosphorylthrombin and was also not altered in the presence of a 1,000-fold molar excess of unlabeled t-PA. Organ distribution studies demonstrated that the early rapid clearance of 125I-t-PA occurred in hepatocytes, followed by a later renal phase of clearance. The clearance of 125I-urokinase (UK) also was studied and was very similar in all aspects to the clearance of 125I-t-PA. These results suggest that both t-PA and UK are cleared from the circulation by unique nonsaturable processes localized in the liver that are independent of the proteinase active site.

Duke Scholars

Author Herbert Edgar Fuchs Neurosurgery

Author Salvatore Vincent Pizzo Pathology