The Fibrinolysis Inhibitor α 2 -Antiplasmin in the Human Cornea.

Ayala, Aidee; Warejecka, Debra J.; Vaughan, Kimberly A.; Twining, Sally S.; Yue, Beatrice Y. J. T.

Purpose : To determine whether the cornea contains and expresses, at the gene level, the major plasmin inhibitor α 2 -antiplasmin. Methods : Corneal sections were immunostained for α 2 -antiplasmin. Extracts of human corneal stroma, epithelium, and endothelium were subjected to immunodot blot and Western blot analysis. Total RNA and α 2 -antiplasmin specific primers were used for RT-PCR. The cDNA was sequenced. Results : α 2 -Antiplasmin was observed in all three corneal layers by immunolocalization and Western blots. The major α 2 -antiplasmin form observed in most extracts was the 70-kDa form. Total α 2 -antiplasmin was present at 0.119 ± 0.014 μ g/epithelium (n = 10) and 1.45 ± 0.47 μ g/stroma (n = 10). α 2 -Antiplasmin mRNA was detected in epithelial and stromal extracts and cultured human corneal stromal cells. The sequences of the PCR products were identical to that for human α 2 -antiplasmin. Conclusions : α 2 -Antiplasmin and its mRNA are present in the cornea and may serve to regulate corneal plasmin activity.

ANTIFIBRINOLYTIC agents; CORNEA; ENZYME inhibitors; ENDOTHELIUM; EPITHELIUM; MESSENGER RNA; RNA

Current Eye Research, 2005, Vol 30, Issue 12, p1097

0271-3683

Academic Journal

10.1080/02713680500403046