Skip Navigation

Cardiovascular Research 1997 35(2):241-249; doi:10.1016/S0008-6363(97)00088-6
© 1997 by European Society of Cardiology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Garvin, M. R
Right arrow Articles by O'Brien, E. R
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Garvin, M. R
Right arrow Articles by O'Brien, E. R
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Copyright © 1997, European Society of Cardiology

Arterial expression of the plasminogen activator system early after cardiac transplantation

Michael R Garvina, Marino Labinaza, Klaus Pelsa, Virginia M Walleyb, Henry F Mizgalac and Edward R O'Briena,*

aDepartment of Medicine (Cardiology), Vascular Biology Laboratory, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ont. K1Y 4E9, Canada
bDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont., Canada
cDepartment of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5, Canada

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 (613) 761-5427; fax: +1 (613) 761-4690; e-mail: eobrien@ohi-net.heartinst.on.ca

Objectives: Recent studies suggest that alterations in tissue thrombolysis as well as the inward migration of cells may be specific events that contribute to coronary artery narrowing after cardiac transplantation. Plasminogen activators and inhibitors play a central role in governing not only tissue thrombolysis, but also vascular cell migration. The purpose of this study was to examine arterial wall expression of the plasminogen activation system in coronary arteries during graft vascular disease initiation and progression. Methods: Using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry, the expression patterns of uPA and PAI-1 in coronary arteries from cardiac allografts were compared to those of young individuals without disease. Results: Both PAI-1 and uPA were over-expressed early after transplantation and as late as 27 months post grafting. Over-expression of these molecules preceded morphological evidence of graft vascular disease. Of special note was the adventitial expression of uPA and PAI-1 in microvessels and myofibroblasts. In contrast, the expression of uPA and PAI-1 in normal coronary arteries was confined to endothelial cells of the central lumen, as well as low levels of expression in intimal and medial smooth muscle cells. Conclusions: Despite morphologic similarities between normal and transplant coronary arteries, differences were noted in the vascular expression pattern of uPA and PAI-1. The exact role of these molecules in graft vascular disease requires further study; however, it is intriguing to consider that a local imbalance in the plasminogen system may contribute to arterial wall thrombosis and/or excessive cell migration and the genesis of complex vascular lesions.

KEYWORDS Urokinase; Plasminogen; Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; Human, coronary artery


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.