We studied the fibrinolytic activities of the following subfractions of unstimulated human whole saliva on plasminogen-rich fibrin plates: (1) submandibular saliva, (2) parotid saliva, and (3) smears of buccal epithelial cells from ten healthy males. A cell-bound plasminogen activator could be demonstrated in the sediments of all three subfractions of whole saliva. The incorporation of antibodies (goat IgG) against human two-chain tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) could quench the assessed fibrinolytic activities, whereas additional experiments suggested the absence of urokinase-like and F XII-dependent activators of fibrinolysis. The determinations in growth medium from buccal-epithelial cell culture of t-PA antigen by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed the presence of t-PA.
These clinical and experimental findings suggest that buccal-epithelial cells produce t-PA, while the activity of t-PA in parotid and submandibular saliva is very low.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Albrechtsen, O.K. and Thaysen, J.H. (1955): Fibrinolytic Activity in Human Saliva, Acta Physiol Scand35:138-145.
2.
Arenholt-Bindslev, D.; Jepsen, A.; MacCallum, D.A.; and Lillie, J.H. (1987): The Growth and Structure of Human Oral Keratinocytes in Culture, J Invest Dermatol88:314-319.
3.
Astrup, T. and Mullertz, S. (1952): The Fibrin Plate Method for Estimating Fibrinolytic Activity, Arch Biochem Biophys40 :346-351.
4.
Astrup, T. and Stage, A. (1952): Isolation of a Soluble Fibrinolytic Activator from Animal Tissues, Nature170:929.
5.
Birn, H. and Fejerskov, O. (1971): Fibrinolytic Activity of Human Oral Epithelial Cells. A Preliminary Report, Scand J Dent Res79:381-386.
6.
Birkedal-Hansen, H. and Taylor, R.E. (1983): Production of Three Plasminogen Activators and an Inhibitor in Keratinocyte Cultures, Biochim Biophys Acta756:308-318.
7.
Gaffney, P.J. and Curtis, A.D. (1985): A Collaborative Study of a Proposed International Standard for Tissue Plasminogen Activator (t-PA), Thromb Haemost53:134-136.
8.
Jespersen, J. and Astrup, T. (1983): A Study of the Fibrin Plate Assay of Fibrinolytic Agents. Optimal Conditions, Reproducibility and Precision, Haemostasis13:301-315.
9.
Jespersen, J. and Kluft, C. (1985): Increased Euglobulin Fibrinolytic Potential in Women on Oral Contraceptives Low in Oestrogen. Levels of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Plasminogen Activators, Prekallikrein, Factor XII, and Cl-inactivator, Thromb Haemost54:454-459.
10.
Kjaeldgaard, A. and Kjaeldgaard, M. (1986): Immunological Characterization of Plasminogen Activators in Human Mixed Saliva, Acta Physiol Scand126:443-447.
11.
Kjaeldgaard, A. and Kjaeldgaard, M. (1987): Immunological Characterization of Plasminogen Activators in Human Parotid Saliva, Arch Oral Biol32:855-857.
12.
Kluft, C.; Wijngards, G.; and Jie, A.F.H. (1984): Intrinsic Plasma Fibrinolysis: Involvement of Urokinase-related Activity in the Factor XII-Independent Plasminogen Proactivator Pathway, J Lab Clin Med103:408-419.
13.
Ljungner, H.; Bjorlin, G.; and Astedt, B. (1984): Immunological Identification of Plasminogen Activators in Normal and Malignant Tissues of the Oral Cavity in Man, Int J Oral Surg13:334-338.
14.
Miller, J.L. (1960): Method of Pure Parotid Saliva Collection without Cannulization, J Dent Res39:1075.
15.
Moody, G.H. (1982): The Source of Plasminogen Activator in Human Saliva , Arch Oral Biol27:33-37.
16.
Myhre-Jensen, O. and Astrup, T. (1971): Fibrinolytic Activity of Squamous Epithelium of the Oral Cavity and Oesophagus of Rat, Guinea Pig and Rabbit, Arch Oral Biol16:1099-1107.
17.
Pandolfi, M.; Bjorlin, G.; and Nilsson, I.M. (1969): Decreased Fibrinolytic Activity in Chronically Inflamed Tissues, Odont Revy20:31-35.
18.
Porte, R.J.; De Maati, M.P.M.; Knot, E.A.R.; Princen, H.M.G.; and Jespersen, J. (1990): Secretion of Protein C and Plasminogen by Human Hepatocytes in Primary Culture: Application of Modified Sensitive Enzyme Immuno-Assays , Thromb Haemost (in press).
19.
Ramstrom, G. (1975): Fibrinolytic Activity in the Saliva of Patients with Coagulation Disorders, Swed Dent J68:49-54.
20.
Rijken, D.C.; Wijngards, G.; and Welbergen, J. (1980): Relationship between Tissue Plasminogen Activator and the Activators in Blood Vascular Wall, Thromb Res18:815-830.
21.
Rijken, D.C.; Wijngards, G.; and Welbergen, J. (1981): Immunological Characterization of Plasminogen Activator Activity in Human Tissues and Body Fluids, J Lab Clin Med97 :477-486.
22.
Sindet-Pedersen, S.; Gram, J.; and Jespersen, J. (1987): Characterization of Plasminogen Activators in Unstimulated and Stimulated Human Whole Saliva, J Dent Res66:1199-1203.
23.
Sindet-Pedersen, S.; Ramstrom, G.; Bernvil, S.; and Blomback, M. (1989): Hemostatic Effect of Tranexamic Acid Mouthwash in Anticoagulant-treated Patients Undergoing Oral Surgery, N Engl J Med320:840-843.
24.
Sindet-Pedersen, S. and Stenbjerg, S. (1986): Effect of Local Antifibrinolytic Treatment with Tranexamic Acid in Hemophiliacs Undergoing Oral Surgery, J Oral Maxillofac Surg44:703-707.
25.
Sindet-Pedersen, S.; Stenbjerg, S.; and Ingerslev, J. (1988): Control of Gingival Hemorrhage in Hemophilic Patients by Inhibition of Fibrinolysis with Tranexamic Acid, J Periodont Res23:72-74.
26.
Southam, J.C. (1981): The Fibrinolytic Activity of Human Oral Epithelium and Epidermis, Br J Dermatol105:679-684.
27.
Truelove, E.L.; Bixler, D.; and Merritt, A.D. (1967): Simplified Method for Collection of Pure Submandibular Saliva in Large Volumes, J Dent Res46:1400-1403.
28.
Wunschmann-Henderson, B. and Astrup, T. (1972): Relation of Fibrinolytic Activity in Human Oral Epithelial Cells to Cellular Maturation: The Influence of Smoking, J Pathol108:293-301.
29.
Wunschmann-Henderson, B. and Astrup, T. (1974): Inhibition by Hydrocortisone of Plasminogen Activator Production in Rat Tongue Organ Cultures, Lab Invest30:427-433.
