Haemostasis Flashcards
What is haemostasis
the cellular and biochemical processes that enables both the cessation of bleeding in response to vascular insult
What is the function of haemostasis
to prevent blood loss from intact and injured vessels, enable tissue repair
What are the 4 stages of haemostasis
- Vessel constriction
- Formation of an unstable platelet plug
- Stabilisation of the plug with fibrin
- Vessel repair and dissolution of clot
Describe the vessel constriction response in haemostasis
Mainly important in small blood vessels
Local contractile response to injury
Limits blood flow to the injured vessel
What is involved in unstable platelet plug formation and what is the purpose
Platelet adhesion and aggregation
Limits blood loss + provides surface for coagulation
What is involved in stabilisation of a platelet plug and what is the purpose
Blood coagulation
Stops blood loss
What does vessel repair involve and what is the function
Cell migration/proliferation and fibrinolysis
Restores vessel integrity
Describe the normal vessel wall
Endothelial cell - anticoagulant barrier (TM, EPCR, TFPI, GAG) Subendothelium - procoagulant Basement membrane - elastin, collagen VSMC - TF Fibroblasts - TF
Describe platelets (size, organelles, lifespan, count)
Small (2-4µm) Anuclear Lifespan - 10 days Platelet count = 150-350 10^11 produced every day
What is the role of the platelet cytoskeleton
Important for morphology, shape change, pseudopods, contraction and clot retraction
What are the ultrastructural features of the platelet
On membrane: Alpha granules Dense granules Thrombin receptor Phospholipid membrane Microtubules and actomyosin Glycoproteins (GbIb/V/IX)
What is contained in the alpha granules of platelets
Growth factors,
Fibrinogen
FV
VWF
What is contained in the dense granules of platelets
ADP
ATP
Serotonin
Ca2+
Describe platelets and VWF in a normal blood vessel
Platelets circulate in close contact with the endothelial cell lining of the blood vessel wall
VWF circulates in a globular conformation. Binding sites are hidden from GpIb
What is vWF
vWF is a blood-borne glycoprotein which also adheres to endothelial collagen, and binds Gp1b especially well under high shear stress.
What occurs in the adhesion stage of platelet plug formation
- Platelets bind to exposed endothelial collagen with their Gp1a.
- Platelets bind to von Willebrand factor (vWF) with their Gp1b.
- vWF unravel under high shear stress
- Binding of VWF to to platelets recruits other platelets (also Bia GPVI and a2b1 on collagen at low shear)
- Activation of platelets