Haemostasis Flashcards
What balance is required in haemostasis
Fibrinolytic factors, anticoagulant proteins Coagulation factors, platelets
Why is the balance in haemostasis important
Allows the stimulation of blood clotting processes following injury Limit the extent of the response to the area of injury to prevent excessive or generalised blood clotting Start the process of fibrinolysis
What does haemostasis describe
Halting of blood following trauma Contraction of blood vessels Formation of unstable platelet plug Formation of stable fibrin clot
How would you describe platelets
Discoid, non-nucleated, granule-containing cells Plasma membrane contains glycoproteins
How to platelets stick to damaged endothelium
Directly to collagen via the platelet GP1a receptor Indirectly via Von Willebrand Factor which binds to platelet GP1b receptor Activation causes change of disc to rounded form which spicules to encourage interaction
What does adhesion of platelets mean
Release contents of their storage granules: a-granules and dense granules by invaginating their platelet membrane Components of the contents include ADP, fibrinogen and VWF
What does thromboxane A2 do (platelets are stimuated to make this)
Platelet aggregation Vasoconstrictor From arachidonic acid Tissue injury and inflammation
What do ADP and thromboxane A2 do
Positive feedback effects resulting in further platelet recruitment activation and aggression They do this by binding onto P2Y12 and thromboxane A2 receptor
What does platelet activation do in terms of GP2b/3a receptor
Conformational change of receptor Fibrinogen binds to it which further activates the platelets Fibrinogen causes the platelet plug However suppressed by PG12 (prostacyclin) which is released from endothelial cells and is a powerful vasodilator and suppresses platelet activation
What are antiplatelet drugs used for
Prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease
What does aspirin do
Inhibits the production of thromboxane A2 by irreversibly blocking the action of cyclo-oxygenase(COX) COX also inhibits prostacyclin However endothelial cells can synthesise more COX whereas platelets can’t Aspirin last 7 days until the platelets present have been replaced
How does clopidogrel work
It irreversibly blocks the ADP receptor (P2Y12)
What is the Von Willebrand factor
Glycoprotein Synthesised by endothelial cells and megakaryocytes Circulates the plasma as multimers of different sizes It mediates the adhesion of platelets Promotes platelet-platelet aggregation Specific carrier for factor VIII
Why is secondary haemostasis (coagulation) needed
Primary platelet plus is sufficient for small vessel injuries Fibrin formation stabilises the platelet plug
All but two clotting factors are synthesised in the liver
Factor VIII and VWF
What factors are dependent on Vitamin K for carboxylation of glutamix acid residues
Factor 2, Factor VII, UX X
What does the process of blood coagulation entail
Inactive zymogen (proenzyme) into an active clotting factor
Where are many clotting factors believed to work on
Exposed phospholipid surface surface of platelets
What do calcium ions play an important role in
Binding of activated clotting factors