Urokinase stimulates inflammatory response in damaged vascular wall during in vivo arterial remodeling.

Perivascular application of urokinase to the ballooned artery promoted the growth of neointima and constrictive remodeling of the vessel and stimulated the inflammatory response in the damaged vascular wall in vivo. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator did not induce these changes. Our results indicate that urokinase is involved in the regulation of the inflammatory response during in vivo remodeling of the damaged vascular wall.