Inhibitory effects of polysaccharides isolated from Phellinusgilvus on benzo（a）pyrene-induced forestomach carcinogenesis in mice

AIM: Although polysaccharides from Phellinus mushrooms are a well-known material with anti-tumor properties, there is no information about the effect of polysaccharides from Phellinus gilvus (PG) on tumor. The modulating effect of polysaccharides isolated from PG on the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)-induced forestomach carcinogenesis in ICR female mice was investigated in this study. METHODS: A forestomach carcinogenesis model was established in 40 ICR female mice receiving oral administration of BaP for 4 wk. The mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups (10 each). The mice in each group were treated with sterile water or PG for 4 and 8 wk (SW4, PGW4, SW8, and PGW8 groups). Eight or 12 wk after the first dose of BaP, forestomachs were removed for histopathological and RT-PCR analysis. RESULTS: In histopathological changes and RT-PCR analysis, sterile water-treated mice showed significant hyperplasia of the gastric mucosa with a significantly increased expression of mutant p53 mRNA compared to mice treated with PG for 8 wk. CONCLUSION: Polysaccharides isolated from PG may inhibit BaP-induced forestomach carcinogenesis in mice bydown-regulating mutant p53 expression.     

肝硬化患者血浆中尿激酶型纤溶酶激活物的检测及其意义

目的 探讨肝硬化患者血浆尿激酶型纤溶酶激活物(uPA)、尿激酶型纤溶酶激活物受体(uPAR)、纤溶酶原激活物抑制剂-1(PAI-1)的变化及其意义。 方法 确诊的72例乙型肝炎后肝硬化患者,Child-pugh分级A级23例(A组),B级29例(B组),C级20例(C组)。6例健康志愿献血者为正常对照组。酶联免疫吸附实验测定血浆uPA、uPAR、PAI-1的变化。并同时检测血透明质酸(HA)、Ⅳ型胶原(C Ⅳ)、Ⅲ型前胶原(PC Ⅲ)、血浆白蛋白、胆红素、凝血酶原时间及其活动度改变。 结果 随着肝硬化的进展,血浆uPA、uPAR、PAI-1逐渐增加,HA、PC Ⅲ也明显增加。Child C组患者血浆uPA、uPAR、PAI-1水平(μg/L)分别为1.88±0.64、4.82±2.02和52.60±16.87,A组分别为1.36±0.43、3.03±1.48和24.09±7.14,B组分别为1.79±0.62、4.80±2.22和41.40±17.52,C组与A、B组比较,t值为2.81～7.38,P值均<0.01。A组血浆uPA与PC Ⅲ呈负相关(r=-0.4785,P<0.05);C组PAI-1与HA呈正相关(r=0.5447,P<0.01)。 结论 肝硬化晚期,虽然血浆uPA、PAI-1增加,但总的效应表现为uPA相对不足,肝基质纤维降解受抑制,血浆uPA、PAI-1与肝硬化发展密切相关。     

Enhanced aerosol deposition in the lung with mild airways obstruction

We investigated the sensitivity of aerosol deposition to airways obstruction by measuring total deposition fraction of inert aerosol in normal conscious sheep (n = 6) after challenging cholinergic agent, pilocarpine (PL) (0.5 mg/kg intravenously) with and without a prior challenge of beta 2-adrenergic agonist, terbutaline sulfate (TS) (0.025 mg/kg subcutaneously). Aerosol deposition was measured by a light-scattering aerosol photometer in situ while sheep rebreathed 1.0-micron-diameter inert oil droplets from a 0.2-L collapsible bag at a rate of 30 breaths/min. Total accumulated deposition at the fifth breath (AD5) as a percentage of initial aerosol concentration was determined and compared with mean pulmonary airflow resistance (RL). After PL, both AD5 and RL increased significantly from baseline values by 51 +/- 9% and 597 +/- 118% (mean +/- SE), respectively, whereas AD5 and RL decreased significantly by 16 +/- 4% and 34 +/- 6%, respectively after TS (p less than 0.05). After PL subsequent to TS (TS-PL), AD5 increased in all six sheep by 33 +/- 7% from post-TS values (p less than 0.05). However, RL did not change from post-TS values. Greater changes in RL than in AD5 after PL (bronchoconstriction) or TS (bronchodilation) suggest a greater sensitivity of RL than AD5 to airway patency in the large airways. Lack of increase of RL after TS-PL indicates that bronchoconstrictive effect of PL was blocked by prior challenge with TS. Therefore, the increase in AD5 after TS-PL may be related to the peripheral airway obstructions which might have been caused by increased secretions induced by a potent secretagogue PL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cellular receptors for plasminogen activators recent advances

The generation of the broad-specificity protease plasmin by the plasminogen activators urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is implicated in a variety of pathophysiological processes, including vascular fibrin dissolution, extracellular matrix degradation and remodeling, and cell migration. A mechanism for the regulation of plasmin generation is through binding of the plasminogen activators to specific cellular receptors: uPA to the glycolipid-anchored membrane protein urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and tPA to a number of putative binding sites. The uPA-uPAR complex can interact with a variety of ligands, including plasminogen, vitronectin, and integrins, indicating a multifunctional role for uPAR, regulating not only efficient and spatially restricted plasmin generation but also having the potential to modulate cell adhesion and signal transduction. The cellular binding of tPA, although less well characterized, also has the capacity to regulate plasmin generation and to play a significant role in vessel-wall biology. (Trends Cardiovasc Med 1997;7:227-234). ? 1997, Elsevier Science Inc.     

Sputum cathelicidin, urokinase plasminogen activation system components, and cytokines discriminate cystic fibrosis, COPD, and asthma inflammation

BACKGROUND: Interest in airways inflammatory disease has increasingly focused on innate immunity. We investigated several components of innate immunity in induced sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), COPD, and asthma, and healthy control subjects. METHODS: Twenty eight patients with mild CF lung disease (age > or = 12 years; FEV1, 74 +/- 3% predicted [mean +/- SE]), 74 adults with COPD (FEV1, 55 +/- 2% of predicted), 34 adults with persistent asthma (FEV1, 66 +/- 2% of predicted), and 44 adult control subjects (FEV1, 85 +/- 1% of predicted) were studied while in stable clinical condition. Levels of sputum interleukin (IL)-8, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, human cationic antimicrobial protein 18 (CAP18), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), uPA receptor (uPAR), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 were determined. Cell sources were investigated by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Spirometry was performed prior to sputum induction. RESULTS: CF patient sputum showed greatest increase in IL-8 compared to that of patients with COPD and asthma (which were also greater than control subjects), and elevated levels of TNF-alpha and IL-10 compared to other groups. There were no differences in IFN-gamma. CAP18 levels were elevated in CF and COPD patients compared to control subjects, while asthma patients had reduced CAP18 levels. uPA levels were similar but uPAR was elevated in CF and COPD patients more so than in asthma patients, while PAI-1 levels were elevated in all three disease groups. CAP18 localized to neutrophil secondary granules; neutrophils were also sources of IL-8 and PAI-1. CAP18 and PAI-1 negatively correlated with pulmonary function. CONCLUSION: Induced-sputum innate immune factor levels discriminate inflammatory changes in CF, COPD, and asthma, suggesting potential roles in pathophysiology and as well as providing disease-specific biomarker patterns.     

Urokinase in conditioned medium from phorbol ester-pretreated endothelial cells promotes polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration.

Serum-free conditioned medium (CM) generated by human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers following pretreatment with 100 ng/ml of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) promoted human polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) migration as assayed in blindwell chambers. Stimulation of PMNL migration in response to CM was dependent on the dose of PMA used to pretreat the endothelial cells as well as the duration of incubation time to generate CM. Phorbol esters have been previously shown to release plasminogen activators from vascular endothelial cells. In the present study, pretreatment of endothelial cells with PMA also increased plasminogen activator activity in CM at a time course similar to the generation of PMNL chemoattractant activity. Treatment of CM with a polyclonal antibody against human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) not only inhibited uPA activity, but also significantly reduced PMNL chemoattractant activity when compared with untreated CM. In contrast, treatment of CM with an antibody directed against tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) did not affect PMNL migratory activity. Furthermore, when CM was passed over an anti-uPA immunoaffinity column, plasminogen activator activity was reduced 90% and chemoattractant activities was reduced 68%. Both plasminogen activator and chemoattractant activities were reconstituted in the eluate from the anti-uPA column. These data demonstrate that uPA present in the CM from PMA-pretreated endothelial cells stimulates PMNL chemoattractant activity and suggests a possible role for endothelial cell-derived uPA in stimulating migration of peripheral blood leukocytes at an inflammatory locus.     

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor regulates leukocyte recruitment during experimental pneumococcal meningitis

Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) have been suggested to play an important role in inflammatory diseases. Increased levels of tPA, uPA, uPA receptor (uPAR), and their inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, have been found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with bacterial meningitis. Here, we show that expression of tPA, uPA, uPAR, PAI-1, and PAI-2 is up-regulated during experimental pneumococcal meningitis. In uPAR-deficient mice, CSF pleocytosis was significantly attenuated 24 h after infection, compared with that in infected wild-type (wt) mice. Lack of uPAR did not influence blood-brain barrier permeability, intracranial pressure, expression of chemokines (keratinocyte-derived cytokine and macrophage inflammatory protein-2), bacterial killing, or clinical outcome. No differences in pathophysiological alterations were observed in tPA-deficient mice, compared with those in infected wt mice. These results indicate that uPAR participates in the recruitment of leukocytes to the CSF space during pneumoccal meningitis.     

Coronary thrombolysis by intravenous infusion of recombinant single chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator or recombinant urokinase in baboons: effect on regional blood flow, infarct size and hemostasis

An occlusive thrombus was produced by thrombin-induced coagulation in the left anterior descending coronary artery of 18 open chest baboons. In six control animals, occlusive thrombosis persisting for 4 hours resulted in a large transmural infarct (66 +/- 4% of the perfusion area, mean +/- SEM). In six animals, single chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator, obtained by recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology, was infused intravenously at a rate of 20 micrograms/kg per min for 60 minutes after approximately 45 minutes of coronary thrombosis. Persistent reperfusion occurred within 21 +/- 4 minutes (mean +/- SD). The mean duration of occlusion before reperfusion was 72 +/- 6 minutes. Recanalization resulted in a reduction of infarct size (42 +/- 4%, p less than 0.01 versus control animals). Myocardial blood flow in the perfusion area of the left anterior descending coronary artery was 107% of normal 2.5 hours after recanalization. The infusion of recombinant single chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator was not associated with systemic activation of the fibrinolytic system, fibrinogen breakdown or evident bleeding. In six baboons recombinant low molecular weight urokinase (molecular weight 33,000) was infused intravenously at a rate of 20 micrograms/kg per min for 60 minutes after approximately 45 minutes of coronary thrombosis. Persistent reperfusion occurred within 14 +/- 5 minutes (p less than 0.05 versus recombinant single chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator). The mean duration of occlusion was 69 +/- 14 minutes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The Role of the Fibrinolytic System in Corneal Angiogenesis

The plasminogen activation system has been implicated in angiogenesis and angiogenesis-dependent diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis and ocular diseases. The identification and development of inhibitors of angiogenesis offer new possibilities for the treatment of these diseases. To clarify the role of proteins involved in the regulation of fibrinolysis during corneal angiogenesis, we have studied corneal vessel formation in mice deficient for urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI). Our results corroborate earlier findings that angiogenesis in the mouse cornea is dependent on PAI-1 and plasminogen. The absence of tPA, uPA or TAFI did not affect the formation of new vessels in the cornea.     

Clinical significance of urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The plasminogen activation system plays a crucial role in the process of cancer invasion and metastasis. To evaluate the most effective factor in the invasion, metastasis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we examined urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, PAI-2 and uPA activity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in HCC tissues obtained from 46 patients. The results were compared with the patients' clinicopathological features and prognoses. RESULTS: Of the clinicopathological features, only histological portal involvement or intrahepatic metastasis, or both (INV), was significantly correlated to the disease-free survival rates (DFS; P < 0.05). The levels of uPA, PAI-1 and PAI-2 antigens were significantly associated with INV and histological grade. The DFS was not different, however, between cases with uPA, PAI-1 and PAI-2 values above and below the median. The high levels of uPA activity were closely related to INV (P < 0.001), and the activity gradually raised histological grades (P < 0.0001). The DFS was significantly different between patients with uPA activity below and above the median (0.70 ng/mL; P = 0.0092); it was also significantly different between such patients without INV (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity may be the most sensitive factor affecting HCC invasion in the plasminogen activation system and a strong predictor for the recurrence of HCC. We suggest that cases with uPA activity of more than 0.70 ng/mL should be carefully followed up for possible HCC recurrence.     

尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物对糖尿病大鼠肾脏系膜基质的影响

目的 探讨尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物（uPA）对糖尿病大鼠肾脏系膜基质表达的影响及机制.方法 8周龄健康雄性SD大鼠（体质量150～200 g）20只尾静脉注射链脲佐菌素,成功建立糖尿病大鼠模型后采用数字表法随机分为糖尿病组（n=10）和uPA组（n=10;尾静脉注射2500 U·kg^-1·d^-1 uPA,共4周）.另以10只正常大鼠为对照组.29d后处死大鼠,心脏取血检测血糖、血肌酐水平.过碘酸六胺银染色测定肾小球平均面积、肾小球平均容积和肾小球系膜区面积.免疫组织化学法检测肾脏尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物受体（uPAR）、纤溶酶原激活物抑制剂-1（PAI-1）和Ⅳ型胶原表达水平.采用方差分析和q检验进行数据统计.结果 与正常对照组比较,糖尿病组大鼠明显出现尿蛋白[（25.4±4.3）mg/24 h vs（5.5±2.1）mg/24 h,q=4.27,P＜0.01],肾小球体积及系膜基质显著增加,肾小球系膜uPAR、PAI-1、Ⅳ型胶原表达显著增加（q值分别为3.63、3.97、4.21,均P＜0.05）.糖尿病大鼠注射uPA后,尿蛋白明显减少[（12.6±5.4）mg/24 h,q=3.45,P＜0.05],肾小球体积、系膜基质异常有所改善（q值分别为4.34、4.27,均P＜0.01）,肾小球系膜PAI-1、Ⅳ型胶原表达明显减少（q值分别为3.98、4.17,均P＜0.05）.结论注射uPA可明显降低糖尿病大鼠肾小球PAI-1蛋白表达,对uPAR表达的影响不大,提示uPA可能通过与uPAR结合、摄取PAI-1并加速其降解,从而调节肾小球系膜细胞及其基质表达,改善糖尿病系膜基质病变.     

Characteristics of fibrinolytic disorders in acute promyelocytic leukemia

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Catastrophic hemorrhage remains the main cause of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treatment failure. This study was aimed to study the pathogenesis of coagulopathy in patients with APL.

Methods: Multiple procoagulant and profibrinolytic parameters in plasma and peripheral leukocytes from 24 patients with newly diagnosed APL accompanied by coagulopathy before and after arsenic trioxide (ATO) treatment were evaluated.

Results: Prior to the treatment, the patients had elevated D-dimer and decreased fibrinogen levels. Plasma urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and plasmin–ɑ₂ antiplasmin complexes (PAP) levels, plasmin (Pn) activity, and cell surface levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) were significantly higher; plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels and plasminogen (Pg) activity were significantly decreased; plasma plasminogen activator (PA) activity, uPA and tPA levels; and cell surface levels of uPAR and annexin II were not significantly different from levels in the control group. During ATO treatment, both patients’ plasma PA activity and uPAR on leukocytes gradually increased, annexin II on leukocytes increased initially and decreased afterwards, and tPA and uPA on leukocytes remained consistently higher in the patients than in the controls. Other parameters gradually tended toward normal values.

Conclusions: In APL, activated coagulation system activated fibrinolytic system, and increased uPAR levels could contribute to the hyperfibrinolysis. Annexin II might not be involved in the coagulopathy.     

Urokinase mediates fibrinolysis in the pulmonary microvasculature

The role of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) in fibrinolysis remains unsettled. The contribution of uPA may depend on the vascular location, the physical properties of the clot, and its impact on tissue function. To study the contribution of urokinase within the pulmonary microvasculature, a model of pulmonary microembolism in the mouse was developed. Iodine 125 ((125)I)-labeled fibrin microparticles injected intravenously through the tail vein lodged preferentially in the lung, distributing homogeneously throughout the lobes. Clearance of (125)I-microemboli in wild type mice was rapid and essentially complete by 5 hours. In contrast, uPA(-/-) and tissue-type plasminogen activator tPA(-/-) mice, but not uPAR(-/-) mice, showed a marked impairment in pulmonary fibrinolysis throughout the experimental period. The phenotype in the uPA(-/-) mouse was rescued completely by infusion of single chain uPA (scuPA). The increment in clot lysis was 4-fold greater in uPA(-/-) mice infused with the same concentration of scuPA complexed with soluble recombinant uPAR. These data indicate that uPA contributes to endogenous fibrinolysis in the pulmonary vasculature to the same extent as tPA in this model system. Binding of scuPA to its receptor promotes fibrinolytic activity in vivo as well as in vitro. The physical properties of fibrin clots, including size, age, and cellular composition, as well as heterogeneity in endothelial cell function, may modify the participation of uPA in endogenous fibrinolysis. (Blood. 2000;96:1820-1826)     

Coronary arterial thrombolysis with low-dose synergistic combinations of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and recombinant single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (rscu-PA) for acute myocardial infarction

The effect of combined intravenous infusion of 10 mg of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and 10 mg of recombinant single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator over 1 hour on coronary artery recanalization and on the blood fibrinolytic system was studied in 9 patients with acute myocardial infarction and angiographically confirmed coronary artery occlusion. In 3 of these patients, prior infusion of 10 mg of rt-PA over 1 hour before the first angiogram had not produced coronary artery reperfusion. Complete recanalization was achieved in 7 patients and transient recanalization with reocclusion in 1 patient, whereas coronary artery occlusion persisted in 1 patient. At the end of the infusion, the fibrinogen level remained unchanged and no increase in fibrinogen degradation products was observed, whereas the alpha 2 antiplasmin level had decreased to 61 +/- 16% (mean +/- standard deviation) of the preinfusion level. Thus, combined intravenous infusion of rt-PA and recombinant single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator induces fibrin-specific coronary thrombolysis at approximately one-fourth of the dose currently used for each agent alone, which further documents the pharmacologic synergism of these agents.     

Ovulation efficiency is reduced in mice that lack plasminogen activator gene function: functional redundancy among physiological plasminogen activators.

Several lines of indirect evidence suggest that plasminogen activation plays a crucial role in degradation of the follicular wall during ovulation. However, single-deficient mice lacking tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), or PA inhibitor type 1(PAI-1) gene function were recently found to have normal reproduction, although mice with a combined deficiency of tPA and uPA were significantly less fertile. To investigate whether the reduced fertility of mice lacking PA gene function is due to a reduced ovulation mechanism, we have determined the ovulation efficiency in 25-day-old mice during gonadotropin-induced ovulation. Our results reveal that ovulation efficiency is normal in mice with a single deficiency of tPA or uPA but reduced by 26% in mice lacking both physiological PAs. This result suggests that plasminogen activation plays a role in ovulatory response, although neither tPA nor uPA individually or in combination is obligatory for ovulation. The loss of an individual PA seems to be functionally complemented by the remaining PA but this compensation does not appear to involve any compensatory up-regulation. Our data imply that a functionally redundant mechanism for plasmin formation operates during gonadotropin-induced ovulation and that PAs together with other proteases generate the proteolytic activity required for follicular wall degradation.     

Rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts constitutively express the fibrinolytic pattern of invasive tumor-like cells

OBJECTIVE: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the synovial membrane proliferates and invades the underlying tissues. The cell-associated fibrinolytic system (urokinase-type plasminogen activator, uPA; uPA receptor, uPAR; plasminogen activator inhibitor-type 1, PAI-1) is pivotal in cell invasion and proliferation. For this reason, the expression and the role of such enzymatic system was investigated in synovial fibroblasts (SF) of normal and RA patients. METHODS: In SF obtained from RA patients and control subjects, uPA, uPAR and PAI-1 were measured by ELISA of cell lysates and culture medium and by RT-PCR of mRNAs. uPA was also studied by zymography. Proliferation was measured by cell counting and cell invasion with the Boyden chamber. RESULTS: RA-SF over-express uPAR and PAI-1 and are more prone than the normal counterpart to spontaneous and uPA-challenged invasion and proliferation, which are counteracted by antagonists of the fibrinolytic system. CONCLUSIONS: RA-SF display the fibrinolytic pattern and behaviour of invasive tumor-like cells. Antagonists of the fibrinolytic system are able to revert growth and invasion of both normal and RA-SF.     

Urokinase-dependent plasminogen activation is required for efficient skeletal muscle regeneration in vivo

Plasminogen activators urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) are extracellular proteases involved in various tissue remodeling processes. A requirement for uPA activity in skeletal myogenesis was recently demonstrated in vitro. The role of plasminogen activators in skeletal muscle regeneration in vivo in wild-type, uPA-deficient, and tPA-deficient mice is investigated here. Wild-type and tPA-/- mice completely repaired experimentally damaged skeletal muscle. In contrast, uPA-/- mice had a severe regeneration defect, with decreased recruitment of blood-derived monocytes to the site of injury and with persistent myotube degeneration. In addition, uPA-deficient mice accumulated fibrin in the degenerating muscle fibers; however, the defibrinogenation of uPA-deficient mice resulted in a correction of the muscle regeneration defect. A similar severe regeneration deficit with persistent fibrin deposition was also reproducible in plasminogen-deficient mice after injury, suggesting that fibrinolysis by uPA-mediated plasminogen activation plays a fundamental role in skeletal muscle regeneration. In conclusion, the uPA-plasmin system is identified as a critical component of the mammalian skeletal muscle regeneration process, possibly because it prevents intramuscular fibrin accumulation and contributes to the adequate inflammatory response after injury. These studies demonstrate the requirement of an extracellular proteolytic cascade during muscle regeneration in vivo.     

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator is effective in fibrin clearance in the absence of its receptor or tissue-type plasminogen activator.

The availability of gene-targeted mice deficient in the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), urokinase receptor (uPAR), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen permits a critical, genetic-based analysis of the physiological and pathological roles of the two mammalian plasminogen activators. We report a comparative study of animals with individual and combined deficits in uPAR and tPA and show that these proteins are complementary fibrinolytic factors in mice. Sinusoidal fibrin deposits are found within the livers of nearly all adult mice examined with a dual deficiency in uPAR and tPA, whereas fibrin deposits are never found in livers collected from animals lacking uPAR and rarely detected in animals lacking tPA alone. This is the first demonstration that uPAR has a physiological role in fibrinolysis. However, uPAR-/-/tPA-/- mice do not develop the pervasive, multi-organ fibrin deposits, severe tissue damage, reduced fertility, and high morbidity and mortality observed in mice with a combined deficiency in tPA and the uPAR ligand, uPA. Furthermore, uPAR-/-/tPA-/- mice do not exhibit the profound impairment in wound repair seen in uPA-/-/tPA-/- mice when they are challenged with a full-thickness skin incision. These results indicate that plasminogen activation focused at the cell surface by uPAR is important in fibrin surveillance in the liver, but that uPA supplies sufficient fibrinolytic potential to clear fibrin deposits from most tissues and support wound healing without the benefit of either uPAR or tPA.