Differential Effects of TAK-442, a Factor Xa Inhibitor, and Ximelagatran, a Thrombin Inhibitor, on Bleeding: Possible Role of Differences in Effects on Factor V-Mediated Feedback on Blood Coagulation Cascade

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 5460-5460
Author(s):  
Noriko Konishi ◽  
Katsuhiko Hiroe ◽  
Yasuhiro Imaeda ◽  
Takuya Fujimoto ◽  
Keiji Kubo ◽  
...  

Abstract Thrombin generation serves to amplify the coagulation cascade via positive feedback activation of factor V (FV) and factor VIII. We hypothesized that factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors, unlike thrombin inhibitors, would not block the feedback activation of the coagulation cascade but would have a favorable anticoagulating profile—sufficient to prevent thrombus formation, yet not interfere with hemostatic plug formation. TAK-442 is a newly synthesized, selective FXa inhibitor that strongly inhibits FXa (with a Ki value of 1.8 nM), and displays more than 440x selectivity toward FXa than other serine proteases. In the present study, we compared the effects of TAK-442 versus ximelagatran on FV-mediated positive feedback in vitro, and on their antithrombotic and hemorrhagic effects in a rat model of venous thrombosis. In vitro, TAK-442 gradually inhibited thrombin generation and prolonged prothrombin time (PT) in a dose-dependent manner, while melagatran, an active form of ximelagatran, exhibited a steeper effect at higher doses tested. The PT prolonging potency was increased in FV–deficient human plasma, with CT2 values (the concentration that causes 2 times prolongation of clotting times) of 120 nM for TAK-442 and 32 nM for melagatran, compared with 500 nM and 360 nM for TAK-442 and melagatran, respectively in normal plasma. In the rat model of venous thrombosis, TAK-442 (10 mg/kg, po) prevented thrombus formation by 55% and prolonged PT by 1.3 times of control values; a similar effect was observed in ximelagatran-treated (3 mg/kg, po) animals, with 59% inhibition of thrombus formation and 1.2 times prolongation of PT. TAK-442 at 100 mg/kg, prolonged PT by 2.1 times, with no significant change in bleeding time (BT); in contrast, increasing the dose of ximelagatran to 10 mg/kg, po prolonged PT by 3.9 times and significantly (P<0.025) increased BT. Our data suggest that the differential effects of the two agents on FV-mediated amplification of thrombin generation may underlie the observation of a wider therapeutic window for TAK-442 than for ximelagatran.

2010 ◽  
Vol 104 (09) ◽  
pp. 504-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriko Konishi ◽  
Katsuhiko Hiroe ◽  
Masaki Kawamura

SummaryThrombin amplifies the blood coagulation via factor V (FV)-mediated positive feedback loop. We hypothesised that factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors would interfere more gradually with this feedback activation loop than thrombin inhibitors, thereby achieving a better balance between haemostasis and prevention of thrombosis. In this study, we compared the effects of TAK-442, a novel FXa inhibitor, versus ximelagatran, a thrombin inhibitor, on FV-mediated positive feedback, venous thrombosis and bleeding. In normal plasma, TAK-442 delayed the onset of tissue factor-induced thrombin generation and prolonged prothrombin time (PT) with more gradual concentration-response curve than melagatran, the active form of ximelagatran. The effect of melagatran on the onset of thrombin generation decreased in an FVa-concentration-dependent manner in FV-deficient plasma supplemented with FVa. Furthermore, in FV-deficient plasma, the PT-prolonging potency of melagatran was markedly increased with a change in its concentration-response curve from steep to gradual. In the rat venous thrombosis model, TAK-442 (10 mg/kg, p.o.) prevented thrombus formation by 55% with 1.2 times prolongation of PT; a similar effect was observed in ximelagatran-treated (3 mg/kg, p.o.) rats. TAK-442 at 100 mg/kg prolonged PT by only 2.1 times with no change in bleeding time (BT), whereas ximelagatran at 10 mg/kg prolonged PT by 3.9 times and significantly increased BT. These results suggest that the differential effects of the two agents on FV-mediated amplification of thrombin generation may underlie the observation of a wider therapeutic window for TAK-442 than for ximelagatran.


1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (05) ◽  
pp. 1041-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Donnelly ◽  
Michael E. Bromberg ◽  
Aaron Milstone ◽  
Jennifer Madison McNiff ◽  
Gordon Terwilliger ◽  
...  

SummaryWe evaluated the in vivo anti-metastatic activity of recombinant Ancylostoma caninum Anticoagulant Peptide (rAcAP), a potent (Ki = 265 pM) and specific active site inhibitor of human coagulation factor Xa originally isolated from bloodfeeding hookworms. Subcutaneous injection of SCID mice with rAcAP (0.01-0.2 mg/mouse) prior to tail vein injection of LOX human melanoma cells resulted in a dose dependent reduction in pulmonary metastases. In order to elucidate potential mechanisms of rAcAP’s anti-metastatic activity, experiments were carried out to identify specific interactions between factor Xa and LOX. Binding of biotinylated factor Xa to LOX monolayers was both specific and saturable (Kd = 15 nM). Competition experiments using antibodies to previously identified factor Xa binding proteins, including factor V/Va, effector cell protease receptor-1, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor failed to implicate any of these molecules as significant binding sites for Factor Xa. Functional prothrombinase activity was also supported by LOX, with a half maximal rate of thrombin generation detected at a factor Xa concentration of 2.4 nM. Additional competition experiments using an excess of either rAcAP or active site blocked factor Xa (EGR-Xa) revealed that most of the total factor Xa binding to LOX is mediated via interaction with the enzyme’s active site, predicting that the vast majority of cell-associated factor Xa does not participate directly in thrombin generation. In addition to establishing two distinct mechanisms of factor Xa binding to melanoma, these data raise the possibility that rAcAP’s antimetastatic effect in vivo might involve novel non-coagulant pathways, perhaps via inhibition of active-site mediated interactions between factor Xa and tumor cells.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M.M Engelen ◽  
C Van Laer ◽  
M Jacquemin ◽  
C Vandenbriele ◽  
K Peerlinck ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Contact of blood with artificial surfaces such as mechanical support devices, catheters, and mechanical heart valves activates the contact activation (CA) pathway of coagulation. Furthermore, recent animal data and clinical studies suggest a more important contribution of CA in pathological thrombus formation in other cardiovascular diseases. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are recommended as first-line treatment in most patients who require long-term anticoagulation. However, because DOACs directly inhibit a single downstream coagulation factor (thrombin (fXIIa) or factor Xa (fXa)), it has been suggested that their efficacy could be reduced in the presence of strong activation of the CA pathway as compared to anticoagulants that target multiple, more upstream located coagulation factors. Purpose To compare the efficacy of a DOAC (apixaban) and heparin to suppress thrombin generation in the presence of strong CA pathway activation. Methods Pooled platelet-poor plasma was spiked with either apixaban (dissolved in DMSO and PBS) or unfractionated heparin to achieve therapeutic plasma levels. SynthASil, a commercially available mixture of phospholipids and silica, was used to stimulate the CA pathway in two different dilutions (1–80 and 5–80). Downstream coagulation was accessed by Thrombin Generation Test using Thrombinoscope by Stago and associated Thrombin Calibrator (activity 640 nM). The endogenous thrombin potential (area under the thrombin generation curve; ETP), peak thrombin generation (PTG), time to peak (ttPeak) and time to start (ttStart) were accessed. Results With decreasing concentrations of apixaban, stimulation with the lower dose SynthASil reveals an increasing ETP and PTG. As expected, ttPeak and ttStart decreased. Even supratherapeutic levels of apixaban (i.e. 1120 ng/mL) could not inhibit thrombin from being generated, in striking contrast with UFH where no thrombin was formed. Using a five times higher dose of SynthASil showed comparable ETP for all concentrations of apixaban, allocated around the control value. PTG, however, slightly increased with decreasing concentrations of apixaban. ttPeak and ttStart slightly decreased. Except for the subtherapeutic UFH concentration of 0,114 IU/mL, no thrombin was generated with UFH. Conclusion UFH is more effective in inhibiting downstream thrombin generation compared to apixaban as a response to activation of the CA pathway in vitro. These findings could help explain why direct inhibitors were not able to show non-inferiority in patients with mechanical heart valves and support the development of specific CA pathway inhibitors for patients with conditions that activate the CA pathway. Thrombin generation curves Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


Blood ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 91 (11) ◽  
pp. 4197-4205 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Herbert ◽  
J.P. Hérault ◽  
A. Bernat ◽  
R.G.M. van Amsterdam ◽  
J.C. Lormeau ◽  
...  

Abstract SANORG 34006 is a new sulfated pentasaccharide obtained by chemical synthesis. It is an analog of the “synthetic pentasaccharide” (SR 90107/ ORG 31540) which represents the antithrombin (AT) binding site of heparin. SANORG 34006 showed a higher affinity to human AT than SR 90107/ORG 31540 (kd = 1.4 ± 0.3 v 48 ± 11 nmol/L), and it is a potent and selective catalyst of the inhibitory effect of AT on factor Xa (1,240 ± 15 anti–factor Xa U/mg v850 ± 27 anti-factor Xa U/mg for SR 90107/ORG 31540). In vitro, SANORG 34006 inhibited thrombin generation occurring via both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathway. After intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) administration to rabbits, SANORG 34006 displayed a long-lasting anti–factor Xa activity and inhibition of thrombin generation (TG) ex vivo. SANORG 34006 was slowly eliminated after IV or SC administration to rats, rabbits, and baboons, showed exceptionally long half-lives (between 9.2 hours in rats and 61.9 hours in baboons), and revealed an SC bioavailability near 100%. SANORG 34006 displayed antithrombotic activity by virtue of its potentiation of the anti–factor Xa activity of AT. It strongly inhibited thrombus formation in experimental models of thromboplastin/stasis-induced venous thrombosis in rats (IV) and rabbits (SC) (ED50values = 40.0 ± 3.4 and 105.0 ± 9.4 nmol/kg, respectively). The duration of its antithrombotic effects closely paralleled the ex vivo anti–factor Xa activity. SANORG 34006 enhanced rt-PA–induced thrombolysis and inhibited accretion of125I-fibrinogen onto a preformed thrombus in the rabbit jugular vein suggesting that concomitant use of SANORG 34006 during rt-PA therapy might be helpful in facilitating thrombolysis and preventing fibrin accretion onto the thrombus under lysis. Contrary to standard heparin, SANORG 34006 did not enhance bleeding in a rabbit ear incision model at a dose that equals 10 times the antithrombotic ED50 in this species and, therefore, exhibited a favorable therapeutic index. We suggest that SANORG 34006 is a promising compound in the treatment and prevention of various thrombotic diseases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 104 (09) ◽  
pp. 514-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Lecompte ◽  
Agnès Tournier ◽  
Lise Morlon ◽  
Monique Marchand-Arvier ◽  
Claude Vigneron ◽  
...  

SummaryCathepsin G (Cath G), a serine-protease found in neutrophils, has been reported to have effects that could either facilitate or impede coagulation. Thrombin generation (CAT method) was chosen to study its overall effect on the process, at a plasma concentration (240 nM) observed after neutrophil activation. Coagulation was triggered by tissue factor in the presence of platelets or phospholipid vesicles. To help identify potential targets of Cath G, plasma depleted of clotting factors or of inhibitors was used. Cath G induced a puzzling combination of two diverging effects of varying intensities depending on the phospholipid surface provided: accelerating the process under the three conditions (shortened clotting time by up to 30%), and impeding the process during the same thrombin generation time-course since thrombin peak and ETP (total thrombin potential) were decreased, up to 45% and 12%, respectively, suggestive of deficient prothrombinase. This is consistent with Cath G working on at least two targets in the coagulation cascade. Our data indicate that coagulation acceleration can be attributed neither to platelet activation and nor to activation of a clotting factor. When TFPI (tissue factor pathway inhibitor) was absent, no effect on lag time was observed and the anticoagulant activity of TFPI was decreased in the presence of Cath G. Consistent with the literature and the hypothesis of deficient prothrombinase, experiments using Russel’s Viper Venom indicate that the anticoagulant effect can be attributed to a deleterious effect on factor V. The clinical relevance of these findings deserves to be studied.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1852-1852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshio Fukuda ◽  
Chikako Matsumoto ◽  
Yuko Honda ◽  
Nobutoshi Sugiyama ◽  
Yoshiyuki Morishima ◽  
...  

Abstract Factor Xa (FXa) is an attractive target for the treatment of thrombosis due to its crucial role in the blood coagulation cascade. Fondaparinux, a selective FXa inhibitor, has been approved for clinical use to prevent deep vein thrombosis after orthopedic surgery; however, it requires antithrombin (AT) to exert its antithrombotic effect. It is reported that AT dependent anticoagulants such as heparin are less effective to suppress platelet-rich arterial-type thrombus due to its inaccessibility to thrombus-bound FXa/thrombin. We have developed a potent direct (i.e. AT independent) FXa inhibitor, DU-176b. The objective of this study is to compare the antithrombotic properties of a direct selective FXa inhibitor, DU-176b, with an AT dependent selective FXa inhibitor, fondaparinux. We evaluated the antithrombotic effects of DU-176b and fondaparinux in rat models of arterial and venous thrombosis. The arterial and venous thrombosis was induced by topical application of ferric chloride to the carotid artery and by insertion of a platinum wire into the inferior vena cava, respectively. DU-176b (0.05 – 1.25 mg/kg/h) and fondaparinux (1 – 10 mg/kg/h for arterial thrombosis and 0.03 – 1 mg/kg/h for venous thrombosis) were intravenously administered as continuous infusions. DU-176b prevented both arterial and venous thrombosis in the same dose range. In contrast, the effective doses of fondaparinux markedly differed between these models. A higher dose of fondaparinux more than 100 times was required to inhibit arterial thrombosis compared with venous thrombosis. These results suggest that direct inhibition of FXa is a preferable strategy to AT dependent inhibition for the prevention of thrombus formation in the arteries.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 2138-2138
Author(s):  
Michael P. Cook ◽  
Kate Colizza ◽  
Michael E. Nesheim

Abstract Abstract 2138 Poster Board II-115 The coagulation cascade results in considerable thrombin generation through a series of zymogen activations to enzymes initiated by factor VIIa-tissue factor complex. Thrombin generation consists of an initiation phase, where a small amount of thrombin (∼25 nM) sufficient to form a clot is made, and a propagation phase, which is characterized by a rapid increase (to ∼850 nM) and subsequent decay in the thrombin concentration. Thrombin generation is possibly described as under threshold limited control. Thresholding is observed in systems where a precursor in the presence of a stimulus gives rise to a response, which can both positively feedback and be inhibited. The threshold level of stimulus depends on the kinetics of feedback and inhibition. The coagulation cascade is intensely regulated by several mechanisms and inhibitors. In this study, prothrombin (the precursor) activation initiated by factor Xa (the stimulus) in the presence of factor V (the positive feedback loop) and antithrombin (the inhibitor) was investigated for threshold type behaviour. Reactions were started by adding factor Xa to the purified components prothrombin (140 nM), factor V (2 nM), phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine vesicles (2 μM), CaCl2 (5 mM), antithrombin (280 nM), and Z-Gly-Gly-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Z-GGR-AMC, 400 μM), a fluorogenic thrombin substrate. Thrombin generation was observed as an increase in fluorescence over time due to Z-GGR-AMC hydrolysis. When thrombin generation ceased, the fluorescence plateaued. Under these conditions, the plateau in fluorescence was not a result of complete Z-GGR-AMC hydrolysis, but due to cessation of prothrombin activation. TableCurve 2D (Systat Software Inc., San Jose CA) was used to smooth the raw fluorescence data by drawing a best fit line, which then was used for further data manipulation. Three point running slopes over each time course then were calculated to produce rates of Z-GGR-AMC hydrolysis. The kinetic parameters, kcat (2.77 s-1), Km (92.2 μM), and Ki (product inhibition constant, 233 μM), for thrombin mediated Z-GGR-AMC hydrolysis were used to convert each slope to a free thrombin concentration. In each experimental condition tested, there was no detectable thrombin generated at low factor Xa concentrations. At higher factor Xa concentrations, thrombin generation was transient: the thrombin concentration rapidly rose to a peak followed by its decay. Thrombin potential, defined as the area under the thrombin versus time curve, was calculated by approximating the thrombin peak as a series of trapezoids. The dose-response curve (thrombin potential versus factor Xa concentration) resembled a sigmoid: at low factor Xa concentrations, the thrombin potential was almost zero; as the factor Xa concentration increased, the thrombin potential increased rapidly to a plateau. Under the above conditions, no thrombin generation was detected from 0 pM to approximately 0.5 pM factor Xa. The thrombin potential increased from approximately 0.5 pM to 3 pM factor Xa and past 3 pM thrombin potential was relatively constant. This type of dose-response curve is expected if thresholding exists. Adding activated protein C (aPC) at concentrations ranging from 0 nM to 5 nM increased the threshold concentration of factor Xa from approximately 0.5 pM to 10 pM. In addition, increasing the antithrombin concentration from 280 nM to 560 nM increased the threshold concentration of factor Xa from approximately 0.5 pM to 3 pM. Lastly, adding heparin at concentrations ranging from 0 μg/mL to 2 μg/mL increased the threshold concentration of factor Xa from approximately 0.5 pM to 50 pM. Because the dose-response curve displays a marked increase in thrombin potential over a small range of factor Xa concentrations and this pattern shifts to higher factor Xa concentrations with added aPC, heparin or increased antithrombin, prothrombin activation by prothrombinase is likely a threshold limited occurrence with respect to the initiating factor Xa concentration and the threshold level changes with the kinetics of inhibition. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 2628-2628
Author(s):  
Jack D Stopa ◽  
Donna S. Neuberg ◽  
Maneka Puligandla ◽  
Bruce Furie ◽  
Robert C. Flaumenhaft ◽  
...  

Abstract Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is a ubiquitously expressed oxidoreductase that serves an essential role in protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum by reshuffling disulfide bonds within nascent proteins. PDI can be released from vascular cells, including platelets, and inhibition or platelet-specific deletion of PDI blocks thrombus formation in vivo. However, the specific function of PDI in thrombus formation is poorly understood. Unlike the role of proteases in blood coagulation, which have been studied in depth, little is known about PDI substrates in the vasculature. Several platelet and endothelial integrins have been identified as putative substrates for PDI, but whether coagulation factors are directly targeted by extracellular PDI has not been established. We now identify platelet factor V as a principal coagulation substrate of extracellular PDI. We developed an unbiased strategy to identify novel substrates of PDI in washed platelets using PDI variants capable of trapping substrates: FLAG-tagged PDI mutants modified by a substitution of arginine or proline for histidine (CGHC → CGRC; CGHC → CGPC) in the catalytic motif of both the a and a' domains. Whereas the AGHA-PDI variant which has no catalytic activity serves as a control. The CGRC-PDI variant co-precipitated with platelet factor V in a redox-sensitive manner while there was no platelet factor V detected with the AGHA-PDI variant, thus confirming that binding of PDI to platelet-derived factor V occurs through disulfide bond exchange. Platelet factor V associates with multimerin-1 through a disulfide bond. Trapping PDI mutants also bind to multimerin-1 in a reaction requiring disulfide bond exchange. To evaluate the effect of PDI inhibition on the activation of platelet factor V, washed platelets from healthy donors were stimulated with 0.1 U/mL of thrombin in the presence of varying concentrations of isoquercetin (0 to 50 µM), which has previously been shown to inhibit PDI function. We observed a dose-dependent reduction of factor Va following platelet activation despite the fact that isoquercetin did not inhibit platelet release of PF4 or block Xa or thrombin enzymatic activity directly. We next performed a clinical study designed to determine whether oral isoquercetin inhibits thrombin generation in human subjects via its ability to inhibit platelet Va generation. Plasma samples collected from healthy participants before and 4 hours after ingestion of 1000 mg of isoquercetin (N=17). In plasma samples, post-isoquercetin platelet-dependent thrombin generation decreased by 51% compared with pre-ingestion controls (P=0.0004). Furthermore, we observed an overall 26% reduction in FVa in non-FV depleted plasma (P<0.001), which corresponded with a 53% decrease in FVa generated from platelets (P<0.001). These data confirm a significant effect of PDI inhibition on the generation of FVa following platelet activation. Considering that isoquercetin reduces platelet FVa generation and similarly inhibits platelet-dependent thrombin generation in a PDI-dependent manner, we investigated whether the addition of FVa in vitro restored platelet-dependent thrombin generation. The pre-incubation of 7 µg/mL FVa prior to stimulation with low dose thrombin restored platelet-dependent thrombin generation to within 80% baseline of pre-treatment levels. We conclude that platelet factor V is an essential substrate in mediating PDI-dependent thrombin generation on platelets and propose that PDI cleaves a disulfide bond that links platelet factor V to multimerin-1, thereby releasing platelet factor V for activation and subsequent thrombin generation. Disclosures Zwicker: Quercegen Pharma: Research Funding.


Blood ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 91 (11) ◽  
pp. 4197-4205 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Herbert ◽  
J.P. Hérault ◽  
A. Bernat ◽  
R.G.M. van Amsterdam ◽  
J.C. Lormeau ◽  
...  

SANORG 34006 is a new sulfated pentasaccharide obtained by chemical synthesis. It is an analog of the “synthetic pentasaccharide” (SR 90107/ ORG 31540) which represents the antithrombin (AT) binding site of heparin. SANORG 34006 showed a higher affinity to human AT than SR 90107/ORG 31540 (kd = 1.4 ± 0.3 v 48 ± 11 nmol/L), and it is a potent and selective catalyst of the inhibitory effect of AT on factor Xa (1,240 ± 15 anti–factor Xa U/mg v850 ± 27 anti-factor Xa U/mg for SR 90107/ORG 31540). In vitro, SANORG 34006 inhibited thrombin generation occurring via both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathway. After intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) administration to rabbits, SANORG 34006 displayed a long-lasting anti–factor Xa activity and inhibition of thrombin generation (TG) ex vivo. SANORG 34006 was slowly eliminated after IV or SC administration to rats, rabbits, and baboons, showed exceptionally long half-lives (between 9.2 hours in rats and 61.9 hours in baboons), and revealed an SC bioavailability near 100%. SANORG 34006 displayed antithrombotic activity by virtue of its potentiation of the anti–factor Xa activity of AT. It strongly inhibited thrombus formation in experimental models of thromboplastin/stasis-induced venous thrombosis in rats (IV) and rabbits (SC) (ED50values = 40.0 ± 3.4 and 105.0 ± 9.4 nmol/kg, respectively). The duration of its antithrombotic effects closely paralleled the ex vivo anti–factor Xa activity. SANORG 34006 enhanced rt-PA–induced thrombolysis and inhibited accretion of125I-fibrinogen onto a preformed thrombus in the rabbit jugular vein suggesting that concomitant use of SANORG 34006 during rt-PA therapy might be helpful in facilitating thrombolysis and preventing fibrin accretion onto the thrombus under lysis. Contrary to standard heparin, SANORG 34006 did not enhance bleeding in a rabbit ear incision model at a dose that equals 10 times the antithrombotic ED50 in this species and, therefore, exhibited a favorable therapeutic index. We suggest that SANORG 34006 is a promising compound in the treatment and prevention of various thrombotic diseases.


1991 ◽  
Vol 65 (04) ◽  
pp. 355-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Gray ◽  
J Watton ◽  
S Cesmeli ◽  
T W Barrowcliffe ◽  
D P Thomas

SummaryThe in vitro anticoagulant activities of recombinant desulphatohirudin (r-hirudin) were studied in the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and the thrombin generation test : systems. In the APTT at concentrations below 5 μg/ml, r-hirudin showed a dose-response curye. At concentrations above 5 μg/ml, the plasma became unclottable, but in the thrombin generation test , at least 10 μg/ml of r-hirudin was required for full inhibition of thrombin generation. The antithrombotic effect was assessed using a rabbit venous stasis model; 150 μg/ml r-hirudin completely prevented thrombus formation at 10 and 20 min stasis. At antithrombotic dose, the mean bleeding time ratio measured in a rabbit ear template model, was not prolonged over control values. At higher doses, the bleeding time ratios were higher than those observed for the same dosage of heparin. These data indicate that while r-hirudin is an effective antithrombotic agent, antithrombotic doses have to be carefully titrated to avoid excessive bleeding.


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