Plasma plasminogen activator levels increase progressively during prolonged exercise

Abstract

In order to determine whether release of plasminogen activators by the vessel wall is extinguished during prolonged stimulation by exercise, we studied 8 male marathon runners during a 3 hour, 32 km outdoor run. During exercise levels of t-PA, u-PA and vWF steadily increased reaching maximal values after 3 hours of running of 31.7 ± 4.5 ng/ml, 5.1 ± 0.2 ng/ml and 453 ± 57 % respectively. The ratio of t-PA to vWF remained stable. t-PA, u-PA and vWF levels correlated with level of exercise (t-PA: r= 0.71, P<0.0001; u-PA: r= 0.52, P<0.0025; vWF: r= 0.47, P<0.01). These results suggest that t-PA is co-secreted with vWF, and that endothelial release of plasminogen activators does not extinguish after prolonged stimulation.