Hemostasis Flashcards
What is hemostasis?
A complex physiologic process that keeps circulating bld in a fluid state and then, when an injury occurs, produces a clot to stop the bleeding, confines the clot to the site of injury, and finally dissolves the clot as the wound heals
What are the aims of hemostasis?
- To make bld flow smooth once the injury has been healed
- Stops the bld from going out of the bld vessels / minimizing bld loss via the fomation of clot
What is the detailed process of hemostasis?
Once injury is present / occur -> bld vessels will detect the injury and send signal so that the body can send commands to minimize bld loss (minimizing bld loss is done via vasoconstriction wherein the affected bld vessel and its lumen will become more narrow -> resulting for the bld to flow in other adjacent bld vessels and only minimal bld will flow in the affected bld vessel = minimized bld loss) -> but bld loss is still present, hence, PLTs (w/c comes from the bld that flows in the affected bld vessel) will activate themselves -> once PLTs activate themselves, they will become sticky -> then, PLTs will form a temporary PLT plug (only temporary because this PLT plug is unstable: because under minimal stress, it can be easily dislodged / removed) in the site of injury via sticking themselves w/ 1 another -> to make the temporary plug stronger, PROs (specifically coagulation factors) will take action -> the coag factors will activate 1 anohter and create an end product called as fibrin clot / mesh (w/c is made of fibrin strings / polymers that sticks to 1 another | where PLTs, RBCs, and WBCs will be trapped | w/c will stay for several days depending on the severity of the injury as the wound heals) -> when such various cells are trapped in the mesh, the bleeding will be stopped -> the stable fibrin clot must be removed when the wound is already healed (because if the clot is not removed, the affected bld vessel will be obstructed -> resulting for the bld flow to not be smooth) -> hence, the clot must be removed via the process of fibrinolysis
What are the steps that occur in hemostasis?
- Vasoconstriction
- Primary hemostasis
- Secondary hemostasis
- Fibrinolysis
What are the main players in vasoconstriction?
- Smooth muscle (in the bld vessel)
- Brain (for issuing impt commands)
What is the main player in primary hemostasis?
PLTs
What is the end product in secondary hemostasis?
Formation of stable fibrin clot
What is fibrinolysis?
Breaking down of fibrin clot
What is the main player in fibrinolysis?
Plasmin
What is the fxn of plasmin?
Inhibits clotting by destroying the formed clots
Where does plasmin come from?
Plasminogen (when plasminogen is activated, it becomes plasmin)
Hemostasis comes from what Greek words?
- Haima: bld
- Stasis: to stop
What are the 3 main layers of bld vessel?
- Tunica adventitia / Vascula adventitia / Tunica externa
- Tunica media / Vascula media
- Tunica intima/e / Vascula intima / Tunica interna
Where are the ff layers of the bld vessel located:
- Tunica adventitia
- Tunica media
- Tunica intima/e
- External
- Middle
- Internal
What are the cells present in tunica adventitia?
- Collagen / subendothelial collagen (SEC)
- Fibroblasts
What are the cells present in tunica media?
- Smooth muscles (main)
- Elastic tissues
What is the cell present in tunica intima/e?
Endothelial cells
What is the characteristic of endothelial cell and its purpose?
It has a non-reactive surface
W/c makes bld flow smooth as possible
What is the fxn of endothelial cells?
Secretes a lot of substances that makes sure that PLTs will not be activated
What is the fxn of smooth muscles?
For movement (vasoconstriction and vasodilation)
What is vasoconstriction?
Narrowing of bld vessels
What is the purpose of vasoconstriction?
To minimize bld loss when there’s an injury
How long does vasoconstriction take place?
Occurs within 1st few secs after 1st few mins of injury, hence, it’s an immediate short-lived rxn (depending on the severity of injury)
What is vasodilation?
Lumen of bld vessels enlarges
When does vasodilation occur?
After vasoconstriction
What is the purpose of vasodilation?
To ensure that the site of injury is free from bacteria -> this is done via sending WBCs by the bld (to hasten the process of sending WBCs in the site of injury, vasodilation will occur [bigger lumen = more WBCs])
What are the fxns of collagen?
- To protect bld vessel from surrounding outside structures
- Prevents smooth muscles from overextending (during vasodilation)
How can hemostasis make sure that there is smooth bld flow in the absence of injury?
Via the action of endothelial cells w/c secretes a lot of substances called antithrombotic factors
True or False
Antithrombotic factors, procoagulants, vasoconstrictors, and vasodilators present in balance
True
What continuously secretes antithrombotic factors, procoagulants, vasoconstrictors, and vasodilators in the absence of injury?
Endothelial cells
Once injury is present, what will be increased?
- Procoagulants
- Vasoconstrictors
What are the 2 classifications of antithrombotic factors?
- Antiplatelets
- Anticoagulants
What is the fxn of antiPLTs?
Inhibits primary hemostasis
What is the fxn of anticoagulants?
Inhibits 2ndary hemostasis
What are the exs of antithrombotic factors?
- Thrombomodulin
- Antithrombin
- Prostacyclin
- Plasminogen activator
- Heparin
TAPPH
What is the fxn of thrombomodulin?
Influences / modulates thrombin (factor IIa) to become anticoagulant
If thrombin is procoagulant (w/c promotes / supports coagulation) -> w/ the presence of thrombomodulin, it will influence thrombin to become an anticoagulant (because 1 of the special features of thrombin is to become either a procoagulant / anticoagulant)
What is the fxn of antithrombin?
Primary inhibitor of thrombin
What is the fxn of prostacyclin?
Inhibits the activity of PLTs / inhibits PLT activation
Instead of the PLTs being activated, the process of activation is inhibited by prostacyclin -> to ensure that there is a smooth bld flow (because an activated PLT is sticky -> hence, even w/out injury, it can adhere in the surfaces of the bld vessel)
What is the fxn of plasminogen activator?
Plasminogen activator is an enzyme that activates plasminogen to plasmin
Plasmin is a PRO that dissolves fibrin -> reason why it’s considered an antithrombotic factor
What are the fxns of heparin?
- Anticoagulant
- Inhibits factors II and X
What are procoagulant factors?
Factors that promote coagulation
What are the exs of procoagulant factors?
- von Willebrand factor (vWF)
- Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)
- Platelet activating factor
- Thromboxane A2
- Thromboplastin
vPP(pepe)TT(tite)
What is the fxn of vWF?
It serves as a bridge for PLTs to adhere to bld vessels
What is the fxn of PLT activating factor?
Activates PLT
What is the fxn of PAI-1?
Inhibits plasminogen activator
Hence, if plasminogen activator is absent, plasminogen will not be activated to plasmin -> if plasmin is absent, there will be no fibrinolysis
PAI-1 is the opposite of plasminogen activator
What is thromboplastin and its fxn?
- It is a compound derived from cell membranes
- It’s other name is tissue factor -> but this is a misnomer because thromboplastin is a combination of tissue factor + phospholipids
Enhances activity of factor X
Thromboplastin is sort of the opposite of heparin
What is the fxn of thromboxane A2?
Supports the activation of PLTs
Thromboxane A2 is the opposite of prostacyclin
Enumerate the antithrombotic factors and their procoagulants counterparts and explain why
- Prostacyclin and thromboxane A2
-> Prostacyclin: inhibits activity of PLTs / inhibits PLT activation
-> Thromboxane A2: supports PLT activation - Plasminogen activator and PAI-1
-> Plasminogen activator: activates plasminogen to become plasmin
-> PAI-1: inhibits activation of plasminogen - Heparin and thromboplastin
-> Heparin: inhibits factors II and X
-> Thromboplasin: enhances activity of factor X
What is the fxn of vasodilators?
Dilates bld vessels
What are the exs of vasodilators?
- Nitric oxide
- Prostacyclin
NP
What are the vasodilators?
- Nitric oxide
- Prostacyclin
NP
What are the fxns of nitric oxide?
- Inhibits via interruption of PLT adhesion and aggregation
- Stimulates disaggregation of preformed PLT aggregates
If clot is present in a sp site -> nitric oxide can disaggregate the clot