Rapid and sustained coronary artery recanalization with combined bolus injection of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator and monoclonal antiplatelet GPIIb/IIIa antibody in a canine preparation

The effects of bolus injections of recombinant single-chain tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and of F(ab')2 fragments of a murine monoclonal antibody (7E3) against the human platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor [7E3-F(ab')2] on coronary arterial thrombolysis and reocclusion was studied in a canine preparation of coronary artery thrombosis superimposed on high-grade stenosis. Bolus intravenous injections of rt-PA at a dose of 0.45 mg/kg, repeated at 15 min intervals until reperfusion occurred (maximum of four injections) caused reperfusion in five of seven dogs within 100 min (33 +/- 15 min, mean +/- SD). Reperfusion was rapidly followed (generally within 10 min) by reocclusion and then by periods of cyclical reflow and reocclusion. A single intravenous injection of 7E3-F(ab')2 alone at 0.8 mg/kg caused reperfusion within 100 min in two of six dogs (19 and 37 min) without subsequent reocclusion. Single bolus injections of different amounts (0.1 to 0.8 mg/kg) of 7E3-F(ab')2 were then combined with bolus injections of 0.45 mg/kg of rt-PA. Stable reperfusion without reocclusion was accomplished with 0.8 or 0.6 mg/kg 7E3-F(ab')2 and a single injection of 0.45 mg/kg rt-PA within 6 +/- 3 min (n = 6, p less than .01) and 8 +/- 5 min (n = 5, p less than .02), respectively. None of these animals suffered reocclusion of the coronary artery. Lower doses (0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg) of 7E3-F(ab')2 did not significantly shorten the time to reperfusion and did not prevent reocclusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Lysis of a left ventricular thrombus with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator

A 23-year-old woman with peripartum cardiomyopathy presented with a 2.1 x 2.5-cm pedunculated, mobile, left ventricular thrombus and evidence of systemic embolization. Due to the patient's poor left ventricular function, thrombectomy was not a viable option. Treatment with high-dose IV heparin was initially utilized but was unsuccessful as the thrombus appeared to enlarge on echocardiography. An accelerated weight-adjusted dose of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) successfully lysed the thrombus without evidence of embolization. Although rt-PA has been used for primary lysis of high-risk ventricular thrombi, this is the first documentation of successful lysis of a left ventricular thrombus in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy.     

Kistrin, a polypeptide platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, enhances and sustains coronary arterial thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in a canine preparation

BACKGROUND. Kistrin is a 68-amino acid polypeptide from the venom of the Malayan pit viper Agkistrodon rhodostoma, which inhibits the platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor. Its effect on thrombolysis, reocclusion, and bleeding associated with administration of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was studied in a canine model of coronary artery thrombosis. METHODS AND RESULTS. Coronary patency was monitored for 2 hours by ultrasonic flow probe and repeated coronary angiography. The rt-PA was given as 0.45-mg/kg bolus injections at 15-minute intervals until recanalization or to a maximum of four boluses. Four groups of four or five dogs were studied: a control group that received intravenous heparin (4,000-unit bolus and 1,000 units each hour) and three groups that received heparin and 0.48, 0.24, or 0.12 mg/kg kistrin, administered as a 10% bolus injection and an infusion during a 60-minute period. In the control group, reflow occurred in four of five dogs within 37 +/- 47 minutes but was followed by cyclic reflow and reocclusion. Kistrin at a dose of 0.48 and 0.24 mg/kg reduced the time to reflow to 6 +/- 5 and 10 +/- 3 minutes, respectively, and abolished reocclusion. With 0.12 mg/kg kistrin, reflow occurred in all four animals, within 27 +/- 23 minutes, and reocclusion occurred in two animals. Kistrin induced a dose-related prolongation of the template bleeding time: with 0.48 mg/kg kistrin, the bleeding time was prolonged from 3.8 +/- 1.3 minutes before infusion to 29 +/- 2 minutes during infusion, but it was shortened to 8.3 +/- 2.6 minutes at 90 minutes after the end of infusion. Kistrin also caused a dose-related inhibition of platelet aggregation with ADP and collagen: with 0.48 mg/kg kistrin, platelet aggregation was abolished during the infusion but had partially recovered toward the end of the observation period. Pathological examination of recanalized coronary arterial segments of dogs given 0.48 or 0.24 mg/kg kistrin revealed widely patent arteries with some platelets layered on the damaged intimal surface. CONCLUSIONS. Kistrin increases the rate and extent of thrombolysis with a reduced dose of rt-PA, and it prevents reocclusion. At an effective dose, it is associated with a transient prolongation of the bleeding time and inhibition of platelet aggregation. Kistrin may offer promise as adjunctive treatment to thrombolytic agents in patients with acute myocardial infarction.     

Comparative effects of aspirin, a synthetic thrombin inhibitor and a monoclonal antiplatelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antibody on coronary artery reperfusion, reocclusion and bleeding with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in a canine preparation

The comparative effects of intravenous aspirin, the synthetic thrombin inhibitor (2R,4R)-4-methyl-1-[N2-(3-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-8- quinolinesulfonyl)-L-arginyl]-2-piperidinecarboxylic acid monohydrate (Argatroban) and F(ab')2 fragments of monoclonal antibody 7E3 against platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (7E3-F[ab']2) on thrombolysis, reocclusion and bleeding associated with 0.45 mg/kg body weight bolus injections of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) were studied in a canine coronary artery thrombosis model. Coronary patency was monitored for 2 h both by flow probe and by coronary angiography. Four groups were studied: Group I = pretreated with 17 mg/kg intravenous aspirin (n = 6), Group II = pretreated with 200 micrograms/kg per min intravenous Argatroban for 60 min (n = 5), Group III = pretreated with aspirin and Argatroban (n = 5) and Group IV = pretreated with 0.8 mg/kg intravenous 7E3-F(ab')2 (n = 5). In Group I, reflow occurred in four of six dogs, but did not persist; reflow was induced in Group II in four of five dogs, persisting in one; in Group III, reflow occurred in all five dogs, persisting in four; in Group IV reflow was achieved in four of five dogs, persisting in two. The frequency of persistent reflow in Group III was significantly higher than in the combined Groups I and II (p = 0.012), whereas the time to reflow was significantly shorter in the groups receiving Argatroban than in the aspirin group (median 25 versus 55 min, p = 0.04). There were no significant differences between Groups III and IV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Renal artery embolism: thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator

The case of a patient with acute occlusion of the right renal artery due to an embolus is described. Using transoesophageal echocardiography, the left atrial appendage could be identified as the source of embolism. Twenty hours after the onset of symptoms, the embolus could be successfully dissolved with an intra-arterial low-dose infusion of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (10 mg loading dose, 20 mg continuous infusion within 12 h).     

Clot-selective coronary thrombolysis with lowdose synergistic combinations of single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator and recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator

The effect of simultaneous infusions of low-dose recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-PA, pro-urokinase) on coronary arterial thrombolysis was investigated in 23 patients treated within 6 hours (mean 2.6 ± 1.1, range 1.2 to 5.9) of symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction. Infarct artery patency at 90 minutes was achieved in 16 (70%, 95% confidence limits of 0.47 to 0.87) of 23 patients after a 1-hour intravenous infusion of 20 and 16.3 mg of t-PA and scu-PA, respectively. At 90 minutes, the fibrinogen concentration decreased from 369 ± 207 to 316 ± 192 mg/dl (p = not significant), while plasminogen decreased to 69 ± 24% (p = 0.001) and -2-antiplasmin to 77 ± 24% (p = 0.001) of pretreatment values. Although no bleeding requiring termination of drug infusion or transfusion occurred, 1 patient with cerebrovascular amyloidosis had a fatal intracerebral hemorrhage. These findings suggest that combination therapy may allow substantial reductions in total thrombolytic doses while still achieving effective fibrin-specific coronary thrombolysis.     

Single-bolus injection of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in acute myocardial infarction

Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) has hitherto been administered in acute myocardial infarction as an intravenous infusion with an initial bolus of about 10% of the total dose, both due to its short half-life and to avoid possible early reocclusions. A single-bolus dose would simplify the therapeutic regimen. Therefore, 20 patients with symptom duration of 125 +/- 58 minutes were given a single bolus of 50 mg of rt-PA over 2 minutes. Coronary angiography 60 minutes after the rt-PA bolus revealed a patent infarct-related artery in 15 of 20 patients (patency rate 75%, 95% confidence limits 51 to 91%). In the remaining patients, reperfusion was achieved by coronary angioplasty and intracoronary fibrinolysis; in 2 patients coronary artery bypass grafting was necessary. Control angiograms at 24 hours showed reocclusions in 4 of 18 patients. One woman died due to an intracranial hemorrhage 48 hours after the rt-PA bolus injection. Circulating fibrinogen decreased from 2.7 +/- 0.5 to 1.5 +/- 0.9 g/liter after 2 to 4 hours and reached the initial value within 24 hours. Pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained in 7 patients by measuring rt-PA antigen levels in multiple plasma samples. Mean peak rt-PA concentration was 9.8 +/- 3.6 micrograms/ml, total plasma clearance 476 +/- 148 ml/min and dominant half-life 4.8 +/- 1.0 minutes. Thus, rt-PA administered as a 50-mg single bolus appears to provide similar patency rates and shows similar kinetics in comparison with the conventional infusion regimen. Assessment of the incidence of bleeding complications requires further studies.     

Changes in plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and tissue-type plasminogen activator during exercise in patients with coronary artery disease

As depressed fibrinolysis is implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease, we have studied the activation of fibrinolysis during maximal, symptom-limited exercise in a group of 68 men. After exercise they were divided, according to their coronary angiography and exercise 201Tl emission computed tomography results, into three groups. Group 1: persons with normal exercise 201Tl emission computed tomography results and no underlying diseases who served as controls; group 2: patients with coronary artery disease without exercise-induced myocardial ischemia, and group 3: patients with coronary artery disease with transient, exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. Before and at peak exercise we measured the plasminogen activator activity (PAA) in the euglobulin fraction of plasma by an amidolytic method and the concentrations of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), activator-inhibitor complex - plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) complexed with t-PA - and total PAI-1 by enzyme immunoassay. The concentration of free PAI-1 in plasma was calculated by subtraction of the concentration of activator-inhibitor complex from that of total PAI-1. Under basal conditions, group 3 had significantly higher free and total PAI-1 levels than group 1. There were no statistically significant differences between the three groups in PAA, t-PA, and activator-inhibitor complex levels. At peak exercise, group 1 showed the highest release of t-PA accompanied with highest increases in PAA as well as in activator-inhibitor complex, the proportion of released t-PA antigen not bound to PAI-1 being highest in group 1. Free PAI-1 decreased significantly, but there were no differences between individual groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Retrograde coronary venous administration of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator: a unique and effective approach to coronary artery thrombolysis

Recent studies of interventional therapy by way of the coronary venous system have demonstrated that it can protect acutely ischemic myocardium. To evaluate the efficacy of coronary venous retroinfusion compared with systemic intravenous administration of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA), 14 dogs were studied with a copper coil-induced thrombus in the left anterior descending coronary artery. The rt-PA (24,000 fluorescence units/kg) was administered continuously, either intravenously (n = 8) or retrogradely (n = 6), for 30 min beginning 60 min after coronary occlusion. Thrombolysis was determined by repetitive coronary angiography. All dogs were killed 3 h after termination of rt-PA infusion and infarct size was measured by the triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining technique. Complete thrombolysis occurred in five of the six dogs in the retroinfusion group and four of the eight dogs in the systemic intravenous infusion group. Partial lysis was achieved in two dogs treated by intravenous infusion. Lysis did not occur in one dog treated with retroinfusion and in two dogs treated with intravenous infusion. Time to thrombolysis was 13.4 +/- 2.3 min in the retroinfusion group versus 27.8 +/- 4.8 min in the intravenous group (p less than 0.001). Myocardial functional recovery in the ischemic zone measured by two-dimensional echocardiography 60 min after reperfusion was significant only in the retroinfusion group (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Thrombolytic activity of a novel plasminogen activator, LY210825, compared with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in a canine model of coronary artery thrombosis

LY210825, a recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA), which contains the kringle-2 and serine protease functional domains of native tissue-type plasminogen activator, was previously produced by site-directed mutagenesis in a Syrian hamster cell line. We studied the thrombolytic potential of this molecule in a canine thrombosis model. Male hounds (16-22 kg) were anesthetized; a 2.0-cm segment of the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) was isolated proximal to the first main branch, and the dogs were instrumented with an electromagnetic flow probe to measure coronary blood flow. An occlusive thrombus was formed after injury of the intimal surface of the LCX with an electrical current applied by a needle-tipped anode placed distal to the electromagnetic flow probe. After 1 hour of occlusion, either LY210825 or rt-PA was administered intravenously according to the following protocols: 1) a 1-hour infusion of either 0.25 mg/kg LY210825 or 0.4 mg/kg rt-PA, 2) single injections of 0.15-0.6 mg/kg LY210825, and 3) a single injection of 0.45 mg/kg LY210825 and a 3-hour infusion of 1.0 or 1.7 mg/kg rt-PA. Plasma half-lives of LY210825 and rt-PA were 58 +/- 7 and 3.3 +/- 0.3 minutes, respectively. LY210825 produced more rapid reperfusion of the LCX than did rt-PA. In the third study, 90% of the rt-PA-treated vessels reoccluded within 1 hour after cessation of drug, whereas only 25% of the LY210825-treated vessels reoccluded during a 4-hour washout period. There were significant, but relatively small, reductions produced by both plasminogen activators on plasma fibrinogen and plasminogen (25-35% decreases). Because of its longer plasma half-life, LY210825 could be administered intravenously as a single injection. In a canine model of coronary artery thrombosis, LY210825 was a more effective thrombolytic agent than was rt-PA.     

Differential sensitivity of erythrocyte-rich and platelet-rich arterial thrombi to lysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator. A possible explanation for resistance to coronary thrombolysis

Acute myocardial infarction is triggered by coronary artery occlusion that may be recanalized by thrombolytic therapy with a success rate of up to 75% only. The resistance of coronary artery occlusion to thrombolysis may either be due to obstruction of the lumen by a nonthrombotic mechanism or by intrinsic resistance of thrombus to dissolution. Coronary arterial thrombi are composed of platelet-rich and erythrocyte-rich material in variable proportions. To evaluate the relative sensitivity of these thrombus components to thrombolysis, we have used two femoral arterial thrombosis models in the rabbit, consisting of erythrocyte-rich clot produced by injecting whole blood and thrombin in an isolated segment and of platelet-rich thrombus spontaneously formed on an everted (inside out) femoral arterial segment. Intravenous infusion of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) at a rate of 30 micrograms/kg/min consistently reperfused arteries occluded with erythrocyte-rich clot (six of six animals compared with zero of six placebo-treated animals, p = 0.002), whereas infusion of 30 or 100 micrograms/kg/min was significantly less efficient for reperfusion of everted segments occluded with platelet-rich material (only four of 12 animals, p = 0.01). Intra-arterial infusion proximal to the occlusion, at a rate of 20 micrograms/kg/min reperfused six of seven rabbits with erythrocyte-rich clots but only one of seven rabbits with occluded everted segments (p = 0.03). A dose of 100 micrograms/kg/min was necessary to reperfuse platelet-rich occlusions in five of six rabbits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Hypersensitivity reactions associated with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator and urokinase.

Anaphylaxis or angioedema in response to recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator or urokinase have been reported in only a few isolated cases. Both agents are endogenous proteins and thus considered non-antigenic. Activation of fibrinolysis may per se facilitate anaphylactoid reactions by pathophysiologic pathways that are not well understood. We report a unique case, review the literature and discuss implication for the clinician. The 25-year-old patient underwent thrombolytic treatment for extensive thrombosis of pelvic and deep lower extremity veins. The patient developed protracted anaphylactoid reactions during recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator continuous intravenous infusion. After changing treatment to urokinase, the same symptoms recurred with more severe intensity, despite corticosteroid premedication. Symptoms resolved within hours after treatment with histamine receptor blockers. This unique observation, i.e. sequential occurrence of anaphylactoid reactions during recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase treatments, adds to existing evidence for an unspecific non-antigenic pathomechanism, and for a class effect of thrombolytics. Steroids do not prevent, but histamine receptor blockers seem to be an effective treatment of this unusual complication of thrombolytic therapy.     

Rapid lysis of coronary artery thrombi with anisoylated plasminogen: streptokinase activator complex. Treatment by bolus intravenous injection

The ability of anisoylated plasminogen: streptokinase activator complex (APSAC) to induce coronary artery reperfusion after bolus intravenous injection (2 to 4 minutes) was assessed in 29 patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction and complete coronary artery occlusion. A 5-mg dose resulted in reperfusion in 3 of 14 patients (21%); a 5-mg plus 10-mg regimen was successful in 3 of 7 (43%); and a 30-mg dose induced reperfusion in 9 of 15 (60%). Rethrombosis occurred in only 1 of 15 patients (7%) who received 30 mg, as determined by repeat angiography at 24 hours. The mean interval after injection until reperfusion was 35 minutes with the 30-mg dose, and bleeding occurred at the femoral artery catheterization site in only 3 of 15 patients (20%). Intracoronary streptokinase therapy achieved reperfusion in only 2 of the 6 patients in whom the 30-mg dose failed, indicating that this dose of APSAC was sufficient by itself in 9 of 11 (83%) successfully treated patients. Because therapy can be completed within 2 to 4 minutes, APSAC appears to be a most suitable fibrinolytic agent for early treatment of the coronary artery thrombosis associated with acute transmural myocardial infarction.     

Treatment of prosthetic tricuspid valve thrombosis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator

Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was admministeredintravenously to a 64-years old female with thrombotic malfunctionof a Björk–Shiley prosthetic tricuspid valve. 150mg of single-chain rt-PA was infused over 8 hours followed byan additional dose of 50 mg over the next 8 hours. At the endof the first infusion, restoration of normal valve functionwas demonstrated by fluoroscopic and echo-Doppler examinations.Mild systemic activation of the fibrinolytic system occurred,with a decrease of fibrinogen and ₂-antiplasmin to 53% and 33%,respectively, of the preinfusion value at the nadir.     

Treatment of prosthetic tricuspid valve thrombosis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator

Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was admministeredintravenously to a 64-years old female with thrombotic malfunctionof a Björk–Shiley prosthetic tricuspid valve. 150mg of single-chain rt-PA was infused over 8 hours followed byan additional dose of 50 mg over the next 8 hours. At the endof the first infusion, restoration of normal valve functionwas demonstrated by fluoroscopic and echo-Doppler examinations.Mild systemic activation of the fibrinolytic system occurred,with a decrease of fibrinogen and ₂-antiplasmin to 53% and 33%,respectively, of the preinfusion value at the nadir.     

Activation of prothrombin accompanying thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator.

Increases in thrombin activity in patients given fibrinolytic agents for acute myocardial infarction have been shown to be important in limiting the ultimate success of coronary thrombolysis. The present study was designed to determine whether increases in thrombin activity reflect, in part, activation of prothrombin accompanying thrombolysis. Plasma concentrations of prothrombin fragment 1.2, a polypeptide released when prothrombin is activated by factor Xa, were measured in 22 patients with acute myocardial infarction before and after treatment with 100 mg of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Concentrations of prothrombin fragment 1.2 increased from 0.83 +/- 1.1 nM (mean +/- SD) before rt-PA infusion to 1.5 +/- 1.5 nM 2 h after initiation of the infusion (p less than 0.05). After a 5,000-U intravenous dose of heparin given at the end of the infusion of rt-PA, concentrations of prothrombin fragment 1.2 decreased from 1.8 +/- 1.5 to 1.1 +/- 0.9 nM (n = 20, p less than 0.05), although values were still increased compared with concentrations before rt-PA. These results indicate that thrombin activity increases in patients given rt-PA at least in part because of activation of the coagulation system leading to activation of prothrombin. Thus, inhibition of the reactions involving coagulant proteins that lead to activation of prothrombin may be of value as conjunctive treatment to potentiate the efficacy of pharmacologic thrombolysis.     

Platelet and vascular function during coronary thrombolysis with tissue-type plasminogen activator

Platelet activation may limit the response to tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) during coronary thrombolysis in humans. As an index of platelet activation, we assessed thromboxane A2 biosynthesis during coronary thrombolysis with intravenous t-PA in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Urinary 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2, a metabolite of thromboxane A2, was increased to a peak of 3,327 +/- 511 pg/mg creatinine (n = 12) following administration of intravenous t-PA and remained elevated for 48 hours. This increase was abolished by pretreatment with aspirin 325 mg orally (n = 6), indicating de novo biosynthesis of thromboxane A2 rather than washout of preformed metabolites during reperfusion. Prostacyclin (PGI2) biosynthesis, determined by excretion of 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha, also increased after t-PA administration. However, this increase was less pronounced in patients who reperfused (28 +/- 3.3 ng.hr/mg creatinine) than in patients who failed to reperfuse (118 +/- 30 ng.hr/mg creatinine, p less than 0.05). These data provide evidence of platelet activation during coronary thrombolysis with t-PA. In patients who reperfuse, the reduction in PGI2 biosynthesis may be a marker of reperfusion injury to the vasculature and may further amplify platelet activation.     

Prevention of coronary thrombosis with subthrombolytic doses of tissue-type plasminogen activator

To determine whether tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) may prevent coronary thrombosis or accelerate the lysis of clot formed under conditions in which increased concentration of the activator is present before thrombosis, clot lysis studies were undertaken in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, exogenous t-PA (6 to 100,000 ng/ml) accelerated the lysis of clot in a dose-dependent fashion when the clot was formed either from whole plasma or from euglobulin fractions (n = 316 determinations). Adding t-PA before clot formation shortened the time to lysis by at least threefold with euglobulin fractions and by at least 10-fold with whole plasma clots, which is consistent with the presence of inhibitors of fibrinolysis in whole plasma and with the binding of t-PA to nascent fibrin. In an intact dog preparation of coronary thrombosis (n = 25), occlusive thrombus formation was prevented when t-PA was present in subthrombolytic concentrations (430 to 1200 ng/ml, n = 5). Occlusive thrombus formation occurred after only discontinuation of the t-PA infusion and clearance of t-PA. Lower concentrations of t-PA (147 to 427 ng/ml, n = 6) significantly delayed occlusion (26 +/- 6.5 vs 7.8 +/- 2.8 min for controls). In animals with t-PA concentrations of less than 140 ng/ml (n = 4), the time to occlusion was unaltered (7.7 +/- 4.5 min). The present study demonstrates that t-PA present before clot formation inhibits thrombosis or accelerates thrombolysis depending on concentration, and that subthrombolytic doses of t-PA can prevent thrombus formation in vivo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)