Human colonic epithelium is exposed to varying levels of sodium butyrate, which is derived from the bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrate. Sodium butyrate has several effects on colonic tumor cells in vitro, including arrest of cell growth and differentiation. In the present study we have found that, in addition to a reduction in cellular proliferation, sodium butyrate induces the transient expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) in the LIM 2405 human colonic tumor cell. Approximately 40% of the PAI-1 secreted is biologically active as judged by the formation of higher molecular weight, SDS-resistant complexes with urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). The enhanced PAI-1 biosynthesis was accompanied by an increase in PAI-1 mRNA levels. During the same time period, the amount of secreted uPA remained relatively constant, but the level of cell associated uPA decreased slowly and was accompanied by a decrease in uPA mRNA levels. The uPA receptor is synthesized constitutively by these cells, and was down-regulated at both the protein and mRNA levels in response to sodium butyrate. The results demonstrate that sodium butyrate can alter the balance of components of the plasminogen activator system in a manner which favours net decreased plasminogen activator activity and suggests a role for sodium butyrate in the regulation of extracellular proteolysis.