Plasminogen activator activity in cultures from human tissues. An immunological and histochemical study

Maria B. Bernik; Hau C. Kwaan

doi:10.1172/JCI106140

Human tissues and cells from pre- and postnatal life were cultivated and studied for plasminogen activator activity. Cultures were obtained from kidney, renal blood vessels, ureter, bladder, lung, and heart. Local activator activity of cells was demonstrated by histochemical techniques. Activator released by cells into the supernatant culture media was assayed by fibrin plate techniques and was investigated for immunological identity using specific antisera to an activator of human origin, urokinase (UK).

Plasminogen activator was produced in primary cultures where cells retain specific functions and generally reflect the enzyme pattern of the tissues of origin. Cells from fetal and adult sources were found to yield activator antigenically identical to UK, as well as activator activity which differed from that of UK in immunoassays and which may represent tissue type activator. Such activity was released after injury or death of cells while UK was produced in cultures containing live, metabolizing cells.

Primary cultures of kidney confirmed that this organ is a rich source of UK and demonstrated, in addition, that UK is produced from the early stages of gestation and in increasing amounts thereafter. However, primary cultures also demonstrated that the ability to produce UK is not limited to the kidney but is a function of cells which are distributed widely in body tissues. Thus, activator antigenically identical to UK accumulated progressively after many refeedings in culture supernates of fetal lung and ureter, as well as in supernates of renal blood vessels of adults. These findings indicate continuous formation of UK by the cultured cells and, furthermore, provide evidence of UK production in blood vessels. In cultures from other tissues, particularly those from fetal heart and adult lung and bladder, investigation of activator was hindered by inhibitory activity which accumulated in the supernates. Such activity was derived from cells in culture and was directed selectively against UK, indicating that inhibitor as well as UK are produced by cells of various organs of the body.

Plasminogen activator also was produced by serially propagated cells, diploid and heteroploid. However, only diploid cell lines retained activator activity of the original tissues and continued to produce activator antigenically identical to UK. In contrast, heteroploid line appeared to have lost the ability to form UK by yielded activator activity that differed from that of UK in immunoassays. Serially propagated cells thus provide an additional tool for in vitro study of plasminogen activator and may facilitate investigation of the fibrinolytic system in man.

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