1.   We have examined the hypothesis that the release of tissue type plasminogen activator may play a prominent role in endothelin induced gastric mucosal injury.

2.   Briefly, the activity of tissue type plasminogen activator can be measured by adding Glu-plasminogen, chromogenic plasmin substrate and fibrin at neutral pH.

3.   In the presence of fibrin, tissue type plasminogen activator converts plasminogen to plasmin, which subsequently cleaves the chromogenic substrate.

4.   These results could suggest a prominent role of tissue type plasminogen activator in the pathogenesis of endothelin induced gastric mucosal damage.

5.   Carcinogenesis in the human colon is associated with a marked increase of urokinase type plasminogen activator and a decrease of tissue type plasminogen activator.

6.   Plasminogen activators are involved in many protein degrading processes by converting plasminogen into the active enzyme plasmin.