Periepicardial fibrinolytic activity: relation to cardiac bleeding.

The effects of various combinations of streptokinase-induced hyperfibrinolysis, electric shock, myocardial ischemia, and ventricular fibrillation on cat pericardial and epcardial fibrinolytic activity were studied. Streptokinase alone or electric shock alone slightly increased the periepicardial fibrinolytic activity but epicardial rebleeding did not occur. However, streptokinase infusions followed by electric shock and/or myocardial ischemia and/or ventricular fibrillation significantly incrased the periepicardial fibrinolytic activity and rebleeding of the epicardium occurred. Topical application of the fibrinolytic inhibitor epsilonaminocaproic acid (EACA) prevented the epicardial rebleeding.