Interaction of tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 on the surface of endothelial cells

The site of the reaction between plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) was investigated in cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In conditioned medium from endothelial cells, two forms of a plasminogen activator-specific inhibitor can be demonstrated: an active form that readily binds to and inhibits plasminogen activators and an immunologically related quiescent form which has no anti-activator activity but which can be activated by denaturation. In conditioned medium, only a few percent of PAI-1 is the active form. However, the addition of increasing concentrations of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) or urokinase to confluent endothelial cells produced a saturable (3.0 pmol/5 x 10(5) cells), dose-dependent increase of the activator-PAI-1 complex in the conditioned medium even in the presence of actinomycin D or cycloheximide. This resulted also in a dose-dependent decrease of the residual PAI activity measured by reverse fibrin autography both in the conditioned medium and cell extracts. Short-time exposure of endothelial cells to a large amount of t-PA caused almost complete depletion of all cell-associated PAI activity. Although there was no detectable PAI activity even after activation of PAI by denaturants or antigen in the culture medium at 4 degrees C without the addition of t-PA, the addition of t-PA at 4 degrees C not only resulted in the formation of 70% of the amount of the t-PA.PAI complex in conditioned medium at 37 degrees C, but also induced PAI-1 antigen in a time and dose-dependent manner in the conditioned medium. Moreover, 125I-labeled t-PA immobilized on Sepharose added directly to endothelial cells formed a complex with PAI-1 in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, no detectable complex was formed with PAI-1 when Sepharose-immobilized 125I-labeled t-PA was added to endothelial cells under conditions in which the added t-PA could not contact the cells directly but other proteins could pass freely by the use of a Transwell. All these results suggest that a "storage pool" on the surface of endothelial cells or the extracellular matrix produced by endothelial cells contains almost all the active PAI-1, and reaction between PA and PAI-1 mainly occurs on the endothelial cell membranes, resulting in a decrease of the conversion of active PAI-1 to the quiescent form.     

Human endothelial cells produce a plasminogen activator inhibitor and a tissue-type plasminogen activator-inhibitor complex

Serum-free conditioned media and cell extracts from cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were analyzed for plasminogen activator by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and enzymography on fibrin-indicator gels. Active bands of free and complexed tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) or urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) were identified by the incorporation of specific antibodies against, respectively, t-PA or u-PA in the indicator gel. The endothelial cells predominantly released a high-molecular-weight t-PA (95000–135000). This t-PA form was converted to M_r-72000 t-PA by 1.5 M NH₄OH/39 mM SDS. A component with high affinity for both t-PA and u-PA could be demonstrated in serum-free conditioned medium and endothelial cell extract. The complex between this component and M_r-72000 t-PA comigrated with high-molecular-weight t-PA. From the increase in M_r of t-PA or u-PA upon complex formation, the M_r of the endothelial cell component was estimated to be 50000–70000. The reaction between t-PA or u-PA and the plasminogen activator-binding component was blocked by 5 mM p-aminobenzamidine, while the complexes, once formed, could be cleaved by 1.5 M NH₄OH/39 mM SDS. These observations indicated that the active center of plasminogen activator was involed in the complex formation. It was further noted that serum-free conditioned medium of endothelial cell extract inhibited plasminogen activator activity when assayed by the fibrin-plate method. Evidence is provided that the plasminogen activator-binding component was different from a number of the known plasma serine proteinase inhibitors, the placenta inhibitor and the fibroblast surface protein, proteinase-nexin. We conclude that cultured endothelial cells produce a rapid inhibitor of u-PA and t-PA as well as a t-PA-inhibitor complex.     

Butyrate stimulates tissue-type plasminogen-activator synthesis in cultured human endothelial cells.

Incubation of cultured human endothelial cells with 5 mM-dibutyryl cyclic AMP led to an approx. 2-fold increase in tissue-type plasminogen-activator (t-PA) production over a 24 h incubation period. The stimulating effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP could be explained by the slow liberation of butyrate, as the effect could be reproduced by addition of free butyrate to the medium, but not by addition of 8-bromo cyclic AMP or forskolin, agents known to raise intracellular cyclic AMP levels. With butyrate, an accelerated accumulation of t-PA antigen in the conditioned medium (CM) was observed after a lag period of about 6 h. Increasing amounts of butyrate caused an increasingly stimulatory effect, reaching a plateau at 5 mM-butyrate. The relative enhancement of t-PA production in the presence of 5 mM-butyrate varied among different endothelial cell cultures from 6- to 25-fold in 24 h CM. Such an increase in t-PA production was observed with both arterial and venous endothelial cells. The butyrate-induced increases in t-PA production were accompanied by increased t-PA mRNA levels. Analysis of radiolabelled CM and cell extracts by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis indicated that the potent action of butyrate is probably restricted to a small number of proteins. The accumulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in CM from butyrate-treated cells varied only moderately. In our study of the relationship between structure and stimulatory activity, we found that a straight-chain C4 monocarboxylate structure with a methyl group at one end and a carboxy moiety at the other seems to be required for the optimal induction of t-PA in cultured endothelial cells.     

Interaction of wild-type and catalytically inactive mutant forms of tissue-type plasminogen activator with human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers

Several groups have demonstrated that radioiodinated tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) binds to saturable sites on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in culture (Hajjar, K. A., Hamel, N. M., Harpel, P. C., and Nachman, R. L. (1987) J. Clin. Invest. 80, 1712-1719; Beebe, D. P. (1987) Thromb. Res. 46, 241-254; Barnathan, E. S., Kuo, A., van der Keyl, H., McCrae, K. R., Larsen, G. L., and Cines, D. B. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 7792-7799). Here we report that most of the specific binding of 125I-t-PA to our HUVEC cultures is accounted for by binding to (i) plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1), a t-PA inhibitor produced in abundance by HUVECs; and (ii) specific binding sites present on the plastic culture surface. The contribution of the sites on plastic can be eliminated by taking several precautions. Then, most or all of the specifically bound 125I-t-PA is present in a sodium dodecyl sulfate-stable 110-kDa 125I-t-PA.PAI-1 complex. Interestingly, a radioiodinated mutant form of t-PA, S478A, which is catalytically inactive and therefore unable to form the covalent complex with PAI-1, still binds to HUVECs. In fact, this ligand binds to HUVECs in 10-30-fold greater amounts than does wild-type 125I-t-PA (resulting in greater than 1 x 10(7) S478A 125I-t-PA molecules bound/cell at 12 nM ligand concentration). In contrast, diisopropyl fluorophosphate-treated t-PA binds to HUVECs in much smaller amounts than does wild-type t-PA. Several findings suggest that PAI-1 is a major binding site for S478A t-PA. The vast amount of binding observed with S478A t-PA, compared with wild-type t-PA, may be accounted for by an observed large scale release of wild-type 125I-t-PA.PAI-1 complexes from the solid phase (cells or extracellular matrix) into the culture medium. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that, in contrast to wild-type t-PA, S478A t-PA does not extract [35S]methionine-PAI antigen from metabolically labeled extracellular matrix. It is proposed that t-PA releases PAI-1 from the solid phase when it forms the irreversible covalent complex with the inhibitor, a process that does not occur with the catalytically inactive mutant form of t-PA.     

Melanotransferrin stimulates t-PA-dependent activation of plasminogen in endothelial cells leading to cell detachment

Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) is an extracellular serine protease that converts the proenzyme plasminogen into the broad-spectrum substrate serine protease, plasmin. Plasmin, one of the most potent pro-angiogenic factors, is a key element in fibrinolysis, cell migration, tissue remodeling and tumor invasion. In the present investigation, we assessed the impact of the truncated form of soluble melanotransferrin (sMTf) on plasminogen activation by t-PA and subsequent endothelial cell detachment. Co-treatment of human endothelial microvessel cells with plasminogen, t-PA and sMTf significantly increased plasmin formation and activity in the culture medium. Plasmin generated in the presence of sMTf also led to a 30% reduction in fibronectin detection within cell lysates and to a 9-fold increase within the corresponding cell medium. Moreover, the presence of sMTf increases EC detachment by 6-fold compared to cells treated only with plasminogen and t-PA. Although the addition of alpha(2)-antiplasmin completely prevented plasmin formation and EC detachment, epigallocatechin gallate, GM6001 and a specific antibody directed against MMP-2 prevented cellular detachment without interfering with plasminogen activation. Overall, these data suggest that the anti-angiogenic properties of sMTf may result from local overstimulation of plasminogen activation by t-PA, thus leading to subsequent degradation of the Fn matrix and EC detachment.     

Isolation and interrelationships of the multiple molecular tissue-type and urokinase-type plasminogen activator forms produced by cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Primary and early subcultures (1st- to 3rd passage) of human umbilical vein endothelial cells produce tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, consisting only of a major Mr 110,000 t-PA form. Later subcultures (greater than 4th passage) produce increasing amounts of t-PA antigen, consisting of a major Mr 110,000 and a minor Mr 68,000 form as well as increasing amounts of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) antigen, consisting of a minor Mr 95,000 and major Mr 54,000 form. All of the major plasminogen activator forms were purified to homogeneity from 72 h serum-free conditioned media (3 liters, 1-1.8 x 10(9) cells) by a combination of immunoaffinity and gel filtration chromatography. Typically, 4th to 6th passage cultures produced/secreted t-PA-type proteins consisting of an inactive Mr 110,000 (220 IU/mg) and active Mr 68,000 (76,500 IU/mg) form representing about 39 and 8%, respectively, of the total starting sodium dodecyl sulfate stable t-PA activity, and u-PA-type proteins consisting of an inactive Mr 95,000 (700 IU/mg) and active Mr 54,000 (81,000 IU/mg) form representing about 9 and 38%, respectively, of the total starting sodium dodecyl sulfate stable u-PA activity. The isolated Mr 68,000 t-PA and Mr 54,000 u-PA proteins, exist only as two-chain forms in the absence of aprotinin and as mixtures of single- and two-chain proteins in the presence of aprotinin. Treatment with nucleophilic agents completely dissociated the Mr 110,000 t-PA and Mr 95,000 u-PA proteins into their respective Mr 68,000 t-PA and Mr 54,000 u-PA activity forms and a common Mr 46,000 protein, confirming the enzyme-inhibitor complex nature of these inactive plasminogen activator forms.     

Synthesis and secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 by human endothelial cells in vitro. Effect of active site mutagenized tissue-type plasminogen activator

The effects of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and of an inactive mutant of rt-PA, obtained by mutagenesis of the active site Ser478 to Ala (rt-PA-Ala478), on the synthesis and secretion of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in culture were studied. Under base-line conditions, PAI-1 antigen secretion was 4.3 +/- 1.0 micrograms (mean +/- S.D., n = 8) per 10(6) cells in 24 h. This PAI-1 had a low specific activity (6,000 +/- 1,600 units/mg) and Mr of 50,000, which was not altered by addition of rt-PA. In HUVEC cultured with 2 micrograms/ml rt-PA-Ala478, PAI-1 antigen secretion was 2.1 +/- 0.8 micrograms (n = 5) per 10(6) cells in 24 h with a specific activity of 120,000 +/- 42,000 units/mg and Mr of 50,000. Addition of rt-PA to this conditioned medium resulted in generation of three main components: 16% migrated as an Mr 106,000 rt-PA.PAI-1 complex, 16% as an Mr 81,000 degraded rt-PA.PAI-1 complex and the remainder as an Mr 45,000 degradation product of PAI-1. HUVEC cultured with 2 micrograms/ml rt-PA secreted 3.9 +/- 0.6 micrograms (n = 8) PAI-1 antigen per 10(6) cells within 24 h, of which 20-50% occurred as intact or degraded complexes with t-PA (Mr 106,000 and 81,000) and the rest as an inactive Mr 45,000 degradation product of PAI-1. PAI-1 mRNA levels, determined by Northern blot analysis and expressed relative to beta-actin mRNA levels, were very similar for HUVEC cultured in the absence or the presence of rt-PA or rt-PA-Ala478. It is concluded that PAI-1 is secreted by HUVEC in culture in fully active form which spontaneously inactivates. PAI-1 can be stabilized by addition of rt-PA-Ala478 to the culture medium, resulting in a 20-fold increase in specific activity. Interaction of rt-PA with active PAI-1 produces both t-PA.PAI-1 complex and an inactive degradation product of PAI-1.     

Analysis of binding protein for tissue-type plasminogen activator in human endothelial cells.

The specific binding sites for tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) were investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. After adding 125I-t-PA (M.W. 70 kDa) to endothelial cells in suspension culture, the ligand was recovered from the cell extract after disuccinimidyl suberate treatment as a high molecular complex with M.W. of 90 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The complex reacted to only anti-t-PA IgG but not to anti-PAI-1 IgG immunoblot analysis, indicating a t-PA specific binding protein. 125I-t-PA ligand blotting of the cell extract revealed that the binding protein had M.W. 20 kDa. The binding of 125I-t-PA to endothelial cells was reduced in the presence of an excess amount of t-PA, plasminogen and 6-aminohexanoic acid, indicating that the binding sites were also recognized by plasminogen, and that t-PA and plasminogen were bound via lysine binding sites in the molecule. These findings suggest that human endothelial cells have specific t-PA binding molecules which may be expressed on the cell surface as t-PA receptors.     

Basic fibroblast growth factor is released from endothelial extracellular matrix in a biologically active form

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) binds to heparin-like molecules present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of transformed fetal bovine aortic endothelial GM 7373 cells. Binding of bFGF to ECM can be competed by heparin or heparan sulfate, and ECM-bound bFGF can be released by treating the cells with heparinase or heparatinase. After binding to ECM, bFGF is slowly released into the medium in a biologically active form, as shown by its capacity to induce an increase of cell-associated plasminogen activator activity and cell proliferation. The increase is prevented upon removal of ECM-bound bFGF by a neutral 2 M NaCl wash. Soluble heparin and heparan sulfate reduce the amount of ECM-bound bFGF released into the medium, possibly competing with ECM polysaccharides for heparinase-like enzymes produced by endothelial cells, suggesting that these enzymes are involved in the mobilization of ECM-bound bFGF.     

Oxygen radicals generated during anoxia followed by reoxygenation reduce the synthesis of tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in human endothelial cell culture

The effect of anoxia and reoxygenation on the synthesis and secretion of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) was studied in primary cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Sublethal anoxia, determined by trypan blue dye exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase release, was produced by cell culture under a 95% N2, 5% CO2 atmosphere for 2-24 h and was followed by reoxygenation with 95% air, 5% CO2 for 24 or 48 h. Anoxia did not alter the levels of mRNA for t-PA or PAI-1 in the cells or the secretion of t-PA or PAI-1 into the medium. At 24 h, t-PA secreted into conditioned medium was 7.0 +/- 1.4 ng/2 x 10(6) cells (n = 9) and PAI-1 was 300 +/- 13 IU/2 x 10(6) cells (n = 9), whereas the content of t-PA mRNA was 2.2 pg/micrograms of RNA and PAI-1 mRNA was 180 pg/micrograms of RNA. During reoxygenation, however, t-PA antigen and PAI-1 activity as well as mRNA for PAI-1 decreased proportionally to the duration of anoxia, to reach 27 +/- 1.0, 49 +/- 2.0, and 47 +/- 14% of control values, respectively, within 24 h of anoxia. t-PA mRNA also decreased significantly during reoxygenation following anoxia, but the extent could not be accurately quantitated. Addition, during anoxia, of a 200 micrograms/ml concentration of the superoxide anion radical scavenger superoxide dismutase or of a 5 mM concentration of the iron chelator deferoxamine mesylate prevented the subsequent decrease of t-PA antigen during reoxygenation; addition of these compounds during reoxygenation had no effect. Superoxide dismutase, but not deferoxamine mesylate, when added during anoxia prevented the subsequent decrease in PAI-1 activity. These studies suggest that the marked alteration of endothelial cell fibrinolysis during anoxia followed by reoxygenation is most likely mediated by a mechanism dependent on oxygen radicals. Impaired endothelial cell fibrinolysis may contribute to the pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion injury.     

Inhibition of p38 MAPK reduces tumor conditioned medium-induced angiogenesis in co-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and fibroblasts

Tumor conditioned medium (CM) has been widely used to stimulate endothelial cells to form capillary-like structures in in vitro angiogenesis models. We report herein the effect of HT1080 and A549 CM after they were mixed with microvascular endothelial cells medium-2 (EGM-2) on angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Both HT1080 and A549 CM decreased HUVEC proliferation, to different extents. While A549 CM significantly increased capillary-like structure formation in a co-culture system, no effect of HT1080 was apparent. Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) blocked both basal and A549 CM induced capillary-like structure formation, but inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and that of c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNK) MAPK had no such effect. Activation of ERK MAPK was inhibited by both CMs, whereas p38 MAPK was inactivated by HT1080 and activated by A549 CM and a control. Neither CM had an effect on JNK MAPK. The results suggest that p38 MAPK played a critical role in capillary-like structure formation in the co-culture, partly via promotion of apoptosis in HUVECs.     

Processing of the lactococcal extracellular serine proteinase

Activity of the lactococcal cell envelope-located serine proteinase depends on the presence of membrane-associated lipoprotein PrtM. To differentiate between the action of the proteinase and the action of PrtM in the process of proteinase maturation, an inactive form of the lactococcal proteinase was constructed. This was done by mutating one of the three amino acids thought to constitute the active site of the enzyme. The secreted form of this inactivated proteinase was the same size as the inactive secreted form of the proteinase produced in the absence of PrtM. Both inactive proteinases are larger than the active proteinase. Isolation of proteinase by washing lactococcal cells carrying the complete proteinase gene in a Ca(2+)-free buffer was prevented by the absence of prtM or the absence of a functional active site. We propose that PrtM, during or after membrane translocation of the proteinase, effects the autoproteolytic removal of the N-terminal pro region of the proteinase. Subsequent C-terminal autodigestion results in the release of the enzyme from the lactococcal cells.     

Inhibition of P38 MAPK Reduces Tumor Conditioned Medium-Induced Angiogenesis in Co-Cultured Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells and Fibroblasts

Tumor conditioned medium (CM) has been widely used to stimulate endothelial cells to form capillary-like structures in in vitro angiogenesis models. We report herein the effect of HT1080 and A549 CM after they were mixed with microvascular endothelial cells medium-2 (EGM-2) on angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Both HT1080 and A549 CM decreased HUVEC proliferation, to different extents. While A549 CM significantly increased capillary-like structure formation in a co-culture system, no effect of HT1080 was apparent. Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) blocked both basal and A549 CM induced capillary-like structure formation, but inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and that of c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNK) MAPK had no such effect. Activation of ERK MAPK was inhibited by both CMs, whereas p38 MAPK was inactivated by HT1080 and activated by A549 CM and a control. Neither CM had an effect on JNK MAPK. The results suggest that p38 MAPK played a critical role in capillary-like structure formation in the co-culture, partly via promotion of apoptosis in HUVECs.     

Purification and characterization of natural and recombinant human plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)

Human plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) was purified from the conditioned medium of endotoxin-stimulated umbilical vein endothelial cell cultures by combinations of zinc-chelate-Sepharose chromatography, gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 and immunoadsorption on an insolubilized murine monoclonal antibody (MA-7D4). The final product was obtained with a recovery of approximately 20% from conditioned medium containing about 3 micrograms/ml PAI-1. The yield of PAI-1 was 15-100 micrograms/umbilical cord, depending on the culture and harvest conditions. SDS gel electrophoresis revealed a main band with Mr = 46,000 both under reducing and non-reducing conditions. On gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300, however, the material was separated in two fractions, one eluting at the void volume, which contains active PAI-1, and one with Mr = 46,000 containing inactive material that could be reactivated with 12 M urea. SDS gel electrophoresis of the isolated high-Mr fraction revealed several bands including a main 46,000-Mr component, which reacted with anti-(PAI-1) antibodies on immunoblotting and neutralized tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). The active high-Mr fraction and the reactivated low-Mr fraction of PAI-1 inhibited t-PA very rapidly with an apparent second-order rate constant of (1.5-4) x 10(7) M-1 s-1. The cDNA of endothelial cell PAI-1 was cloned and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The translation product, purified from conditioned medium of transfected cells, also revealed a high-Mr and a low-Mr fraction on gel filtration, which were indistinguishable from the natural proteins by physicochemical, immunochemical and functional analysis. On reduced SDS gel electrophoresis, the high-Mr fraction was separated into the Mr-46,000 low-Mr PAI-1 and two other components with Mr 65,000 and one barely entering the gel. When reactivated low-Mr PAI-1 was added to plasma, PAI activity and PAI-1 antigen eluted with an apparent Mr greater than or equal to 300,000 on gel filtration, indicating that active PAI-1 complexes with one or more binding proteins in plasma.     

Chloroquine's modulation of endothelial cell activity induced with basic fibroblast growth factor and human serum: effect on mitogenesis, protease production and cell migration

Chloroquine modulates the activity of cultured human microvascular endothelial (HOME) cells in a complex fashion. At concentrations of 5-25 microM, CQ inhibits basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF-) and human serum-induced mitogenic activity in these cells, in a dose-dependent manner. The kinetics of CQ's inhibitory actions on serum-induced mitogenesis in HOME cells slowly develops with only 30% of maximum inhibition reached after 24 hours. In HOME cells grown in serum-free medium, CQ raised tissue-plasminogen activator antigen levels in cell extracts. There was also a potentiation of bFGF-induced t-PA production. The kinetics of CQ's stimulatory effect on t-PA production by HOME cells, suggest that this effect precedes its inhibitory actions on mitogenesis. This effect of CQ on t-PA generation in endothelial cells was susceptible to cycloheximide inhibition. In wound assays, HOME cell migration, induced with bFGF and HS, was potentiated by CQ.     

Modulation of the fibrinolytic response of cultured human vascular endothelium by extracellularly generated oxygen radicals.

Clinical and experimental data indicate that activated oxygen species interfere with vascular endothelial cell function. Here, the impact of extracellular oxidant injury on the fibrinolytic response of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells was investigated at the protein and mRNA levels. Xanthine (50 microM) and xanthine oxidase (100 milliunits), which produces the superoxide anion radical (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), was used to sublethally injure HUVE cells. Following a 15-min exposure, washed cells were incubated for up to 24 h in serum-free culture medium. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen, and PAI-1 activity were determined in 1.25 ml of conditioned medium and t-PA and PAI-1 mRNA in the cell extracts of 2 x 10(6) HUVE cells. Control cells secreted 3.9 +/- 1.3 ng/ml (mean +/- S.D., n = 12) within 24 h. Treatment with xanthine/xanthine oxidase for 15 min induced a 2.8 +/- 0.4-fold increase (n = 12, p less than 0.05) of t-PA antigen secretion after 24 h. The t-PA antigen was recovered predominantly in complex with PAI-1. The oxidant injury caused a 3.0 +/- 0.8-fold increase (n = 9, p less than 0.05) in t-PA mRNA within 2 h. Total protein synthesis was unaltered by xanthine/xanthine oxidase. The oxidant scavengers superoxide dismutase and catalase, in combination, abolished the effect of xanthine/xanthine oxidase on t-PA secretion and t-PA mRNA synthesis. Xanthine/xanthine oxidase treatment of HUVE cells did not affect the PAI-1 secretion in conditioned medium nor the PAI-1 mRNA levels in cell extracts. Thus extracellular oxidant injury induces t-PA but not PAI-1 synthesis in HUVE cells.     

Identification of determinants involved in binding of tissue-type plasminogen activator-plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 complexes to HepG2 cells

Complexes between tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its rapidly acting inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) are bound, internalized, and degraded by HepG2 cells. The mechanism involves endocytosis mediated by a specific high-affinity receptor. However, the particular domains of the complex that are recognized by the receptor have not been elucidated. To identify the determinants involved in ligand binding to the receptor, several variants of t-PA were assessed for their ability to form complexes with PAI-1 and thereby to inhibit specific cellular binding of complexes between structurally unmodified 125I-t-PA and PAI-1. Catalytically active variants lacking selected structural domains form complexes with PAI-1 and inhibit 125I-t-PA.PAI-1 binding to HepG2 cells. In addition, several forms of the plasminogen activator urokinase (u-PA), which shares partial structural homology with t-PA, were evaluated as competitors of cellular binding. The catalytically active two-chain forms of u-PA, but not the inactive proenzyme single-chain form, complex with PAI-1 and inhibit specific binding of 125I-t-PA.PAI-1, suggesting that the serine protease domain, rather than other domains, may confer the determinants required for cellular binding. However, a mutant t-PA with markedly reduced catalytic activity, resulting from replacement of the active site serine with threonine, not only forms complexes with PAI-1 but also inhibits specific cellular binding of unmodified 125I-t-PA.PAI-1. These data indicate that specific binding of t-PA.PAI-1 to HepG2 cells does not require a serine-containing catalytic site in the protease domain. To determine whether binding of the complex is mediated through other components of t-PA or through structural elements of PAI-1, both t-PA and PAI-1 were examined separately for capacity to bind directly to HepG2 cells. To exclude potential interactions with components of the extracellular matrix which contains binding sites for PAI-1, ligand binding to HepG2 cells in suspension was assessed. Although neither t-PA nor PAI-1 alone binds specifically to HepG2 cells, the preformed t-PA.PAI-1 complexes do. These findings suggest that specific binding of t-PA.PAI-1 requires elements of the PAI-1 moiety and/or parts of the protease domain of t-PA.     

Identification and partial characterization by chemical cross-linking of a binding protein for tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) on rat hepatoma cells. A plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1-independent t-PA receptor.

Plasma tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is cleared rapidly in vivo by the liver. Previous studies with the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 have identified a clearance system for t-PA modulated by plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). In the present study, a rat hepatoma cell line MH1C1 is shown to contain a PAI-1-independent t-PA clearance system. At 4 degrees C, binding of 125I-t-PA to MH1C1 cells was rapid, specific, and saturable. Scatchard analysis of the binding data yielded a mean estimate of 105,000 high affinity binding sites per cell (Kd = 4.1 nM). When the bound ligand was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the majority (about 90%) of the specific binding was in the form of uncomplexed 125I-t-PA. This is in contrast to HepG2 cells in which specific binding was mainly in the form of a sodium dodecyl sulfate-stable 125I-t-PA.PAI-1 complex. When availability of matrix-associated PAI-1 was blocked by preincubation with anti-PAI-1 antibody or removed by elastase treatment, specific 125I-t-PA binding to MH1C1 cells was unaffected, whereas most of the specific 125I-t-PA binding to HepG2 cells was abolished. Furthermore, when the active site of t-PA was inactivated with diisopropyl fluorophosphate, the diisopropyl fluorophosphate-t-PA specifically competed for binding of 125I-t-PA to MH1C1 cells, but failed to block specific 125I-t-PA binding to HepG2 cells. At 37 degrees C, PAI-1-independent t-PA binding to MH1C1 cells was followed by ligand uptake and degradation with kinetics similar to that seen in HepG2 cells. Chemical cross-linking of t-PA to MH1C1 cells revealed a specific t-PA binding protein with a molecular mass of about 500,000 daltons. Ligand-receptor complexes generated by chemical cross-linking were immunoprecipitable by anti-t-PA antibody but not by anti-PAI-1 antibody, further supporting the finding that binding of t-PA to MH1C1 cells is PAI-1-independent.     

Catabolism of tissue-type plasminogen activator by the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2. Modulation by plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1

Catalytic activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) in plasma is regulated in part by formation of complexes with specific inhibitors as well as by hepatic clearance. Potential interaction of these two regulatory mechanisms was examined in the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2. These cells secrete plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and initiate catabolism of exogenous t-PA by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Specific binding of 125I-t-PA to cells at 4 degrees C results in dose-dependent formation of a 95-kDa species recognized by monospecific anti-PAI-1 and anti-t-PA antibodies and stable in the presence of low (0.2%) concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Specific binding of 125I-t-PA and formation of the 95-kDa SDS-stable species are inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner following preincubation of cells with anti-PAI-1 antibodies. High and low molecular weight forms of urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA) capable of forming specific complexes with PAI-1 complete for 125I-t-PA binding sites. However, the proenzyme form of u-PA (scu-PA), incapable of forming complexes with PAI-1, does not compete for 125I-t-PA binding sites. The role of the serine protease active site of t-PA in mediating both interaction with PAI-1 and specific binding was examined using 125I-t-PA that had been functionally inactivated with D-phenylalanyl-L-propyl-L-arginyl-chloromethyl ketone (PPACK). 125I-t-PA-PPACK, despite a 6-fold lower affinity than active 125I-t-PA, exhibited specific binding to cells without detectable formation of SDS-stable complexes with PAI-1. Both surface-bound 125I-t-PA and 125I-t-PA-PPACK are internalized and degraded by cells at 37 degrees C. 125I-t-PA is internalized as a stable complex with PAI-1, whereas 125I-t-PA-PPACK is internalized with similar kinetics but without the presence of an SDS-stable complex. Thus, PAI-1 appears capable of modulating t-PA catabolism in the human hepatocyte.