Cardiac myocytes, an inducible source of tissue type plasminogen activator production: potential implications in fibrinolysis and wound healing following myocardial infarction

Historically, heart tissue had been a major source in the initial isolation of tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA). Although 40 years have passed since these reports, the cellular source of this t-PA has yet to be elucidated. In our study we present both in vitro and in vivo evidence that cardiac myocytes are a rich-source of t-PA which may be secreted into the circulation, or remain locally where it can modulate post-myocardial infarct …