Molecular mechanisms of the effect of ultrasound on the fibrinolysis of clots

Our objective was to identify mechanisms for the ultrasound-enhanced acceleration of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA)-induced fibrinolysis of clots. Measurements of turbidity as a function of time, used to characterize quantitatively the effects of ultrasound, showed that the ultrasound pulse-repetition frequency affected clot lysis times, but there were no thermal effects. Ultrasound in the absence of t-PA produced a slight but...