Carbazochrome sodium sulphonate (AC-17) decreases the accumulation of tissue-type plasminogen activator in culture medium of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

: This study investigated the effect of carbazochrome sodium sulphonate (AC-17) on the accumulation of tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA:Ag) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen (PAI-1:Ag) in culture medium of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). HUVEC were cultured in the presence of AC-17, and the concentration of t-PA:Ag and PAI-1:Ag in the medium was measured by an enzyme-linked immunoassay. AC-17, after 48 and 72 h incubation, significantly decreased the t-PA:Ag in the culture medium, while it had no significant effect on the PAI-1:Ag. The result of fibrin zymography was consistent with the result obtained by ELISA. It also revealed that all of the t-PA present in the culture medium formed complexes with PAI-1, indicating that AC-17 did not interfere with t-PA/PAI-1 complex formation. Furthermore, AC-17 did not inhibit the activities of t-PA and plasmin when measured by a fibrin plate method. These results suggest that AC-17 may modulate the fibrinolytic balance of blood through changing the function of endothelial cells, a new aspect of action of AC-17 as a haemostatic drug.