7 - Haemostasis Flashcards
State the steps involved in haemostatic plug formation from the time of injury.
- Vessel constriction
- Formation of an unstable platelet plug (platelet adhesion and aggregation)
- Stabilisation of plug with fibrin (blood coagulation)
- Dissolution of clot and vessel repair (fibrinolysis)
What is the very first initial response to vessel wall injury?
vessels constriction - this is a local contractile response (important for smaller vessels in particular)
What are the 2 important steps of formation of an unstable platelet plug?
platelet adhesion to the damaged blood vessel
platelet aggregation
What must happen after the formation of an unstable platelet plug to snore that it doesn’t get broken down?
blood coagulation and formation of a fibrin network to stabilise it
What are the two main functions of the endothelium (in reference to platelet plug formation)?
- maintains the barrier between the blood and procoagulant sub endothelial structures
- synthesis of prostaglandins, thrombomodulin, vWF and plasminogen activators
What component found underneath the endothelium is involved in triggering the coagulation cascade?
- Procoagulant subendothelial structures e.g. collagen
- Tissue factor
Where is tissue factor found in the body?
expressed on the surface of cells underlying blood vessels
but it is NOT normally expressed within the circulation itself
State some important factors produced by endothelial cells.
Prostacyclin
Thrombomodulin
Von Willebrand Factor
Plasminogen Activator
Briefly, why is von Willebrand factor important?
important in the initial platelet interaction with the damaged area
Briefly, why is plasminogen factor important?
involved in the breakdown of clots
What process during maturation of the megakaryocytes is important for the formation of platelets?
Granulation
What do the dense granules in platelets contain that is important for platelet function?
ADP
What do alpha granules in the platelets contain?
vWF
Factor V
State the two ways in which platelets can bind to collagen. Name the receptors involved.
- It can bind via vWF to collagen (via the GlpIb receptor)
- It can bind directly to the collagen (via the GlpIa receptor)
What happens following the passive adhesion of platelets to the (sub-endothelial) collagen and engagement of receptors?
- The receptors signal inside the cell to release ADP from the storage granules and to synthesise thromboxane
- These bind to receptors on the surface of the platelets and activate them
- Once activated, GlpIIb/IIIa receptors become available, which can bind to fibrinogen and allows the platelets to aggregate
Which receptors on the platelets become available following activation of the platelets and what do they bind to?
GlpIIb/IIIa
These bind to fibrinogen
What else can activate platelets?
Thrombin
What does platelet activation lead to?
prostaglandin metabolism
Which enzyme converts phospholipids to arachidonic acid?
Where does this take place
Phospholipase
in the activated endothelial cells
What does COX convert arachidonic acid to?
Endoperoxides
Describe what happens to endoperoxides in platelets and in the endothelial cells.
Platelets – thromboxane synthetase converts endoperoxides to thromboxane (potent inducer of platelet aggregation)
Endothelial Cells – prostacyclin synthetase converts endoperoxides to prostacyclin (important regulator of haemostasis)
Describe what happens to endoperoxides in platelets and in the endothelial cells.
Platelets – thromboxane synthetase converts endoperoxides to thromboxane (potent inducer of platelet aggregation)
Endothelial Cells – prostacyclin synthetase converts endoperoxides to prostacyclin (important regulator of haemostasis)