Role of plasminogen activators during healing after uterine serosal lesioning in the rat.

OBJECTIVE

Study the expression pattern of tissue-type (t-PA) and urokinase-type (u-PA) plasminogen activators during uterine serosal healing after lesioning in a rat model.

DESIGN

Descriptive study with an adhesion model using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immuncytochemical techniques.

SETTING

Academic medical center.

PATIENT(S): None.

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Expression profiles of t-PA and u-PA were examined in the uteroperitoneal adhesion tissues of rat from the time of injury until day 7 after surgery using relative abundance reverse transcriptase-PCR and immunocytochemical techniques.

RESULT(S): The t-PA transcript levels dropped in uteroperitoneal tissues by 6 hours after surgery and remained low until day 5. Thereafter, a rapid up-regulation of this transcript was observed at day 7. In contrast, the u-PA transcript levels demonstrated a biphasic profile during the progression of adhesion development with peaks at 2 and 5 days after surgery. Immunocytochemical staining demonstrated expression of these plasminogen activators in the newly formed blood vessels.

CONCLUSION(S): Altered levels of t-PA and u-PA transcripts and its expression in newly formed blood vessels during healing and adhesion development indicate involvement of these plasminogen activators in serosal healing and adhesion development.