The effect of purified human activated protein C (APC) on fibrinolysis was studied using a clot lysis system consisting of purified glu-plasminogen, tissue-type plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor (released from endothelial cells or blood platelets), fibrinogen, 125I-fibrinogen and thrombin. All proteins were of human origin. In this system APC could increase fibrinolysis in a dose dependent way, without affecting fibrin formation or fibrin crosslinking. However, this profibrinolytic effect of APC could only be observed when plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) was present. The effect of APC was completely quenched by pretreatment of APC with anti-protein C IgG or di-isopropyl-fluorophosphate. Addition of the cofactors of APC-protein S, Ca2+-ions and phospholipid-alone or in combination did not enhance the profibrinolytic effect of APC. These observations indicate that human APC can accelerate in vitro clot lysis by the inactivation of PAI-1 activity. However, the neutralization of PAI-1 by APC is independent of the presence or absence of protein S, phospholipid and Ca2+-ions.