PLASMA COAGULATION AND FIBRINOGENOLYSIS BY PROSTATIC FLUID AND TRYPSIN

Abstract

The prostatic secretion of normal dogs in effective amts. constantly clots oxalated rabbit and beef plasmas, and a mixture of fibrinogen and prothrombin, but does not coagulate fibrinogen alone or prothrombin-free plasma. This clot formation proceeds in the presence of large amts. of oxalate and heparin, although with heparin a flocculated precipitate develops instead of a firm clot. Dog prostatic fluid does not coagulate human plasma since fibrinogen is destroyed before clotting occurs. Thrombic activity of dog prostatic fluid is stable for mos. at 4[degree]C. It does not disappear on prolonged dialysis against tap water or on heating at 60[degree]C. for 30 min. but is destroyed at 70[degree]C. Human prostatic fluid does not coagulate oxalated plasma. Many proteolytic properties of dog prostatic fluid resemble those of pancreatic trypsin; an important difference is the greater activity of prostatic secretion even in low dilution in destroying plasma fibrinogen compared with fibrin. Trypsin does not possess this effect. The principal proteolytic activity of dog prostatic fluid, fibrino-genase, resembles, but is not physiologically identical with, trypsin; the chief proteolytic enzyme of human prostatic fluid is fibrinolysin.