Mechanisms involved in short-term changes in blood levels of t-PA

The fibrinolytic activity of blood is variable, and may show appreciable short-term and long-term changes. In this chapter, attention will be focused on rapid, short-term increases in blood fibrinolytic activity, i.e., changes occurring within minutes and subsiding rapidly thereafter. long-term changes of blood fibrinolytic activity, such as diurnal variations, changes induced by drugs (like stanozolol and ethylestrenol), or changes occurring in the post-operative period will not be discussed, as these topics will be covered elsewhere in this volume. Since observations on acute increases in blood fibrinolytic activity are discussed in Chapter 14 of this volume, this contribution will emphasize humoral and cellular mechanisms that might be involved in acute changes in blood fibrinolytic activity, while special attention will be given to data from experimental studies. For more extensive discussions regarding acute changes in fibrinolytic activity, various recent reviews may be consulted. 1-6. © 1988 by CRC Press, Inc.