Abstract:Objective To evaluate the thrombolytic and brain-protective effect of new tissue plasminogen activator mutant in rat model of acute cerebral thrombosis. Methods Eighty-four adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) group, low-dose tissue plasminogen activator mutant (low-dose t-PAm) group and conventional-dose tissue plasminogen activator mutant (regular-dose t-PAm) group. The rats of the three groups were treated separately 3 hours after thrombosis in middle cerebral artery. Volume of infarction, neurologic scores and severity of hemorrhage were observed 24 hours after treatment. The protective role of t-PAm for brain tissue was evaluated through neutrophil infiltration and the change in the concentration of PAR-1. Results Volume of infarction in the low-dose t-PAm group and the regular-dose t-PAm group was significantly smaller than that in the control group [(108.5 ± 27.3) mm3 and (68.3 ± 17.2) mm3 vs (323.4 ± 42.3) mm3], and the neurologic scores were evidently correlated with the volume of infarction (r = 0.613, P = 0.000), while the incidence of cerebral hemorrhage in the low-dose t-PAm group was not significantly increased. T-PAm also reduced the production of myeloperoxidase, as well as the production of PAR-1, compared with the t-PA group (P < 0.001). Conclusions New tissue plasminogen activator mutant shows better thrombolytic effect with significant protection for ischemic brain tissue.