Thrombin induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor mRNA in human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture.

We have previously reported that incubation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with human alpha-thrombin causes a time- and concentration-dependent increase in secreted plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) activity (Gelehrter TD, Sznycer-Laszuk R. J Clin Invest 1986;77:165-9). Here we report that the regulation of PAI-1 activity by thrombin is secondary to the thrombin-induced increase in PAI-1 mRNA accumulation. Incubation of HUVECs for 6 to 24 hours with 0.3 to 1.0 U/ml thrombin causes a 1.8-fold to 10-fold increase in PAI-1 activity and a 1.5-fold to threefold increase in accumulation of both the 3.2 and the 2.2 kilobase PAI-1 mRNAs. These effects are prevented by the prior addition of hirudin, a specific thrombin inhibitor. Inhibition of RNA synthesis with actinomycin D blocks the thrombin induction of PAI-1 mRNA accumulation. The protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, which itself markedly stimulates the accumulation of PAI-1, appears to prevent the induction by thrombin, suggesting that thrombin may act by inducing another effector such as interleukin-1. Consistent with this hypothesis is our observation that simultaneous addition of antibodies to interleukin-1-alpha prevents the thrombin induction of PAI-1 activity and mRNA.