Heparin and Low Molecular Weight Heparins Inhibit Prothrombinase Formation but not its Activity in Plasma

Summary

Factor V activation is a critical step preceding prothrombinase formation. This study determined the contributions of factor Xa and thrombin, which activate purified factor V with similar catalytic efficiency, to plasma factor V activation during coagulation. Prothrombin activation began without a lag phase after a suspension of coagulant phospholipids, CaCl₂, and factor Xa was added to factor X-depleted plasma. Hirudin, a potent thrombin inhibitor, abrogated prothrombin activation initiated with 0.5 and 1.0 nM factor Xa, but not with 5 nM factor Xa. In contrast, hirudin did not abrogate prothrombin activation in plasmas pre-incubated with 0.5,1.0 or 5 nM α-thrombin for 10 s followed by the coagulant suspension containing 0.5 nM factor Xa. Thus, thrombin activates plasma factor V more efficiently than factor Xa. At concentrations which doubled the clotting time of contact-activated normal plasma, heparin and three low Mr heparins also abrogated prothrombin activation initiated with 0.5 nM factor Xa, but not with 5 nM factor Xa. If factor V in the factor X-depleted plasma was activated (by pre-incubation with 10 nM a-thrombin for 60 s) before adding 0.5,1.0, or 5 nM factor Xa, neither hirudin nor the heparins altered the rates of prothrombin activation. Thus, none of the five anticoagulants inactivates prothrombinase. When 5 or 10 pM relipidated r-human tissue factor and CaCl₂ were added to normal plasma, heparin and the three low Mr heparins delayed the onset of prothrombin activation until the concentration of factor Xa generated exceeded 1 nM, and they subsequently inhibited prothrombin activation to the same extent. Thus, hirudin, heparin and low Mr heparins suppress prothrombin activation solely by inhibiting prothrombinase formation.

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