Variable effect of unilateral or bilateral ovariectomy performed in young or adult animals on tissue plasminogen activator activity, plasminogen activator inhibition and plasmin inhibition

Abstract

Unilateral or bilateral ovariectomy was performed in young and adult rats. Mainly bilateral ovariectomy induced variable changes of plasminogen activator activity (PAA), plasminogen activator inhibition (PAI) and plasmin inhibition (PI) in key organs (brain, lungs, heart, aorta and kidneys). The most remarkable changes were induced after bilateral ovariectomy performed in young animals and mostly after two and three months of ovariectomy. Therefore, the effect of ovariectomy on tissue PAA, PAI or PI was variable and dependent on the extent of the ovariectomy (unilateral or bilateral), the age of the animal at ovariectomy (young or adult), the time after ovariectomy, and the organ. An additional interesting finding was the dissociation in the response of tissue anti-t-PA and anti-u-PA activities to ovariectomy in some of the organs studied.