Is urokinase a plasminogen activator?
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is a serine protease involved in tissue remodeling and cell migration.
What is the function of urokinase?
Urokinase is a thrombolytic enzyme predominantly formed in the kidney and excreted in the urine. The enzyme converts plasminogen into plasmin and promotes the dissolution of physiologically-occurring blood clots; for example, as in menstrual blood.
What is plasminogen activator system?
Plasminogen activators are serine proteases that catalyze the activation of plasmin via proteolytic cleavage of its zymogen form plasminogen. Plasmin is an important factor in fibrinolysis, the breakdown of fibrin polymers formed during blood clotting.
What does urokinase mean?
: an enzyme that is produced by the kidney and found in urine, that activates plasminogen, and that is used therapeutically to dissolve blood clots (as in the heart)
When do you use urokinase?
Kinlytic™ (urokinase injection) is indicated in adults:
- For the lysis of acute massive pulmonary emboli, defined as obstruction of blood flow to a lobe or multiple segments.
- For the lysis of pulmonary emboli accompanied by unstable hemodynamics, i.e., failure to maintain blood pressure without supportive measures.
What is urokinase made from?
Urokinase is a thrombolytic medication made from human neonatal kidney cells.
What is plasminogen and how does it work?
Plasminogen is a secreted protein that upon cleavage by urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) or tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is converted to plasmin, a broad range protease capable of cleaving fibrin and other ECM components.
What converts plasmin to plasminogen?
Plasminogen is converted to plasmin by cleavage at the Arg561-Val562 peptide bond by tissue-type or urokinase-type plasminogen activator (tPA and uPA, respectively). Activation of plasminogen by tPA is the major pathway that leads to lysis of fibrin clots. The interaction between tPA and plasminogen is relatively slow.
When is plasminogen activated?
Plasminogen activation is tied to activation of the coagulation system and can involve secretion of physiologic PAs (“extrinsic activation”). It has been suggested that kallikrein, factor XIa, and factor XIIa, in the presence of HMWK, can directly activate plasminogen.
What is the mechanism of action of urokinase?
Urokinase is a physiologic thrombolytic agent that is produced in renal parenchymal cells. Unlike streptokinase, urokinase directly cleaves plasminogen to produce plasmin. When it is purified from human urine, approximately 1500 L of urine is needed to yield enough urokinase to treat a single patient.
What does plasmin do to fibrin?
Fibrinolysis is the enzymatic breakdown of fibrin in blood clots. Plasmin cuts the fibrin mesh at various places, leading to the production of circulating fragments that are cleared by other proteases.
What type of drug is urokinase?
Protein
Urokinase/Classification
