Pharmacokinetic and thrombolytic properties of unglycosylated recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (BM 06.021) produced in Escherichia coli.

Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was produced in Escherichia coli cells in order to obtain an unglycosylated rt-PA (BM 06.021) with increased thrombolytic potency due to altered pharmacokinetic properties. The pharmacokinetics were studied in rabbits upon intravenous infusion of 200 kU/kg over 30 min. The thrombolytic dose-response effects were evaluated in a rabbit model with 125I-labeled venous thrombi upon intravenous infusion over 4 h. The thrombolytic effects after intravenous bolus injection of 200 kU/kg BM 06.021 were investigated in a canine model of coronary artery thrombosis. All studies were performed comparing BM 06.021 with glycosylated rt-PA (alteplase). BM 06.021 demonstrated a longer (p less than 0.05) half-life (5.6 +/- 2.6 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.3 min) and a lower (p less than 0.05) clearance rate (7.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 22.2 +/- 3.1 ml.min-1.kg-1) than alteplase in rabbits upon intravenous infusion. The dose-response curve of BM 06.021 for thrombolysis in a rabbit model of jugular vein thrombosis was located to the left of that for alteplase with a 2.1-fold lower effective dose of 50% thrombolysis (ED50) of BM 06.021 (207 vs. 436 kU/kg). Intravenous bolus injection of 200 kU/kg BM 06.021 induced the same reperfusion rate (4/6) as intravenous infusion of 800 kU/kg alteplase over 90 min in a canine model of coronary artery thrombosis. The residual thrombus wet weight did not significantly differ between BM 06.021 and alteplase (5.7 +/- 1.8 vs. 6.3 +/- 1.1 mg). The results indicate that unglycosylated rt-PA (BM 06.021) has a higher in vivo thrombolytic potency than glycosylated rt-PA (alteplase).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)