Inhibition of prothrombinase at macroscopic lipid membranes: competition between antithrombin and prothrombin

Regulation of platelet factor Va-dependent thrombin generation by activated protein C at the surface of collagen-adherent platelets

Recent studies have indicated that factor Va bound to activated platelets is partially protected from inactivation by activated protein C (APC). To explore whether this sustained factor Va activity could maintain ongoing thrombin generation, the kinetics of platelet factor Va-dependent prothrombinase activity and its inhibition by APC were studied. In an attempt to mimic physiologically relevant conditions, platelets were adhered to collagen type I-coated discs. These discs were then spun in solutions containing prothrombin and factor Xa either in the absence or presence of APC. The experiments were performed in the absence of platelet-derived microparticles, with thrombin generation and inhibition confined to the surface of the adherent platelets. APC completely inactivated platelet-associated prothrombinase activity with an overall second order rate constant of 3.3 x 10(6) m(-)1 s(-)1, which was independent of the prothrombin concentration over a wide range around the apparent K(m) for prothrombin. Kinetic studies on prothrombinase assembled at a planar phospholipid membrane composed of 25 mol % phosphatidylserine and 75 mol % phosphatidylcholine revealed a similar second order rate constant of inhibition (2.5 x 10(6) m(-1) s(-1)). Collectively, these data demonstrate that ongoing platelet factor Va-dependent thrombin generation at the surface of collagen-adherent platelets is effectively inhibited by APC. No differences were observed between the kinetics of APC inactivation of plasma-derived factor Va or platelet factor Va as part of the prothrombinase associated with, respectively, a planar membrane of synthetic phospholipids or collagen-adherent platelets.

Prothrombinase is protected from inactivation by tissue factor pathway inhibitor: competition between prothrombin and inhibitor

The inhibition of prothrombinase by tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) has been studied in the presence and absence of prothrombin. The rate constant of association of prothrombinase with full-length TFPI was 2.1x10(7) M-1.s-1 and 0.05x10(7) M-1.s-1 for the reaction with C-terminus truncated TFPI (TFPI1-161). The rate constant of dissociation was 0.65x10(-4) s-1 in both cases. The rate constant of inhibition of prothrombinase by TFPI1-161 was similar to that of solution-phase factor Xa. In contrast, phospholipids and factor Va enhanced the association rate of the reaction between factor Xa and full-length TFPI by approx. 20-fold. Although TFPI, and in particular the full-length variant of the molecule, is a potent inhibitor of prothrombinase (overall inhibition constant of 3 pM), we also found that prothrombin competed very effectively with TFPI for the active site of factor Xa in the prothrombinase complex. A 50% reduction of the rate constant of inhibition was measured in the presence of 4 nM prothrombin, i.e. 0.2% of the plasma concentration of prothrombin. The physiological significance of TFPI as an inhibitor of prothrombinase activity is thus questionable.