Trials and tribulations of thrombin inhibition Thrombin is a central component in the molecular and cellular response to plaque rupture and therefore pertinent to the entire spectrum of acute coronary syndromes. This serine protease not only promotes the deposition of fibrin strands and further activation of the coagulation cascade, but is also a potent stimulus for platelet activation, inducti...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important for the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of microvascular endothelial cells. It is a potent angiogenic factor and a specific endothelial cell mitogen that increases fenestration and extravasation of plasma macromolecules. Recently, large quantities of VEGF were detected in human megakaryocytes. Incubation of human platelets with...

Repeated injections of colloidal copper, hirudin, nucleoprotein, and casein, which have a definite retarding influence on tumor growth, given to mice during the process of wound healing do not produce any noticeable influence on the course of regeneration.

Endotoxin shock and contact system activation were used to study effects of hirudin, antithrombin III, eglin C, aprotinin, and [Arg15]-aprotinin in anesthetized pigs. Alterations in the systemic and pulmonary circulation were in part prevented by administration of the inhibitors.

Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a leading cause of acute renal failure and an important contributor to allograft damage. Tissue factor (TF) is up-regulated during IR, and TF inhibition reduces renal injury. However, the underlying mechanisms by which TF contributes to injury have not been elucidated. We postulated that TF contributes to IR injury by production of coagulation proteases and s...

Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a leading cause of acute renal failure and an important contributor to allograft damage. Tissue factor (TF) is up-regulated during IR, and TF inhibition reduces renal injury. However, the underlying mechanisms by which TF contributes to injury have not been elucidated. We postulated that TF contributes to IR injury by production of coagulation proteases and s...

The most common anticoagulant used for cardiopulmonary bypass is heparin. An alternate form of anticoagulant therapy is needed for patients who have immune-mediated heparin-associated thrombocytopenia (HIT). Thrombocytopenia causes bleeding and may lead to serious arterial and venous thrombosis. HIT or heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis type II (HITT) are both described as adverse...