P. Peternel et al., THE EFFECT OF FASTING AND OR BODY-WEIGHT REDUCTION ON TISSUE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR (T-PA) AND PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR (PAI-1)/, Fibrinolysis, 8, 1994, pp. 41-43
Ten healthy, physically fit, non-smoking volunteers (9 women, 1 man, a
ged 22-55, mean 33 years) with normal body weight and blood lipids wer
e included in the study. During a fasting period of 8-21 (mean 16) day
s they took only drinks and lost 5-12 (mean 7) kg of body weight. Rest
ing and post-20 min upper arm venous occlusion blood samples were obta
ined 1-2 days before and on the last day of the fast. Fasting did not
significantly affect blood lipids. After fasting an increase in testin
g euglobulin activity (7.4 vs 3.6 mid(-1), p < 0.01), and in tissue-ty
pe plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity (215 vs 42 mIU/ml, p < 0.01)
was found. A decrease in plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAT) activit
y (5.5 vs 7.1 IU/ml, p < 0.07) was indicated, while changes in t-PA an
d PAI-1 antigens were not significant. After the fast fibrinolytic res
ponse to venous occlusion was enhanced as observed by greater increase
in euglobulin activity (40.4 vs 11.6 min(-1), p < 0.02), t-PA activit
y (30754 vs 1593 mIU/ml p < 0.01), t-PA antigen (25.9 vs 11.6 ng/ml, p
< 0.02), and greater decrease in PAT activity (3.5 vs 0.0 IU/ml, p <
0.01). In ten non-fasting subjects on normal diet, repeated measuremen
ts in a period of 13-23 (mean 17) days revealed no significant changes
either before or after venous occlusion, It was concluded that in phy
sically fit, non-obese subjects fasting and/or body weight reduction h
as enhancing effect on resting and post-venous occlusion fibrinolytic
activity without significant changes in blood lipids.