Pharmacology 5 - Anti-platelet, Anticoagulant and Thrombolytic Drugs Flashcards
What is the process of haemostasis?
A series of mechanisms by which a damaged blood vessel will limit blood loss
What are the three main stages in the haemostasis sequence?
- Vascular wall damage - exposes collagen, von Willebrand factor and tissue factor within the subendothelial matrix
- Primary haemostasis - local vasoconstriction occurs immediately, platelets adhere forming a soft plug, fibrinogen allows for activation and aggregation of platelets
- Activation of clotting mechnisms - fibrinogen is converted to fibrin due to thrombin producing a solid clot
What are the three key events in primary haemostasis?
- Adhesion
- Activation
- Aggregation
How do platelets adhere to the subendothelial matrix?
Platelets bind to collagen in the subendothelial matrix via von Willebrand factor - to which they bind by GPIb receptors
During the activation step in primary haemostasis, how can platelets bind to the subendothelial matrix more strongly?
Utilising their integrin (α2β1) anf GPVI receptors for a direct bind to collagen
How do platelets become activated? (2)
- By binding directly to collagen via integrin and GPVI
- Action of thrombin
What morphological change do platelets undergo during activation?
Disc shaped to star-like with many projections
What are the projections from activated platelets called, and what is their function?
Pseudopodia
(allows connections between platelets)
What do platelets do once activated, and what is the outcome of this?
Produce thromboxane A2 from arachidonic acid due to enzyme action of COX-1
Thromboxane A2 acts on adjacent platelets causing activation
Platelets release 5-HT and ADP from dense granules
von Willebrand factor and factor V are released from α-granules
What is 5-HT?
5-hydroxytryptamine
(serotonin)
Why is ADP released from activated platelets useful to coagulation?
ADP binds to GPCR P2Y12 receptors on platelets allowing for:
- Activation of more platelets
- Increased expression of platelet GP IIb/IIIa receptors to bind to fibrinogen
- Exposure of more acidic phospholipids on the surface of platelets for clot formation
In the final stage of primary haemostasis, aggregation, what are the three sub-stages?
- Initiation
- Propagation
- Amplification
What is the overarching aim of the three stages of aggregation?
Form a tight mesh of fibrin stands
This is acieved by creating large amounts of thrombin which allows fibrin strands to be formed
What does the initiation phase require and why?
Cells associted with tissue factor such as:
- Fibroblasts
- Monocytes
- Damaged epithelial cells
- Cell fragments associated with TF
These cells are present in the subendothelial matric and are exposed to factor VIIa forming a complex TF:VIIa with tissue factor
What does the TF:VIIa complex proceed to do after its formation?
Activate factor X to Xa
How is prothrombin converted to thrombin?
Factor Xa, in combination with Va (cofactor) convertes prothrombin to thrombin
The activation of which factors requires calcium?
Factor X and prothrombin
After the initial production of thrombin via this extrinsic pathway, why is only a small amount of thrombin produced?
Producing large amounts of thrombin at this stage is not the goal
The aim is to produce enough to allow for amplification of the process to occur
How is clot formation usually supressed?
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI)
This inhibts factor Xa by forming a complex with it
This complex subsequently blocks TF:VIIa preventing the extrinsic coagulation pathway completely
How is the tissue factor pathway inhibitor counteracted when a clot if formed?
The action of this inhibitor is overwhelmed when the influx of plasma factors and endothelial damage is too great
Where does the process of amplification occur?
On the surface of platelets
How does thrombin produced during the initiation phase aid in the amplification phase?
Thrombin activates more platelets and factor V which is released from α-granules upon activation
Upon binding to the platelet membrane, thrombin cleaves factor VIII from vWF which normally keeps the factor from degrading
Factor VIIIa is now active
In the propagation phase, how can factor IX become activated? (2)
- Factor XIa (which is itself activated by thrombin)
- Via TF:VIIa
When activated, what happens to factor IXa?
It will complex with factor VIIIa produced in the amplification phase
This complex is called tenase
What is the function of tenase?
Activate factor X
It is better at this than TF:VIIa meaning more factor Xa is produced
What happens after more factor Xa has been produced in the propagation phase?
Like before, factors Xa and cofactor Va are produced and bind to form prothrombinase on the platelet membrane
This difference now, is that this happens on a much larger scale due to increases factor Xa production because of the action of tenase
During the propagation phase, how much larger is the prothrombinase mediated production of thrombin than in the initiation phase?
1000 times
After thrombin is produced what effect does it have?
It can cleave small fibrinopeptides from fibrinogen which creates small fibrin monomers
These monomers will form polymers - strands of fibrin
These strands are crosslinked with factor XIIIa which is a factor activated in the presence of thrombin and calcium
This allows a stable clot to be formed
How is the stable clot compressed and made tougher/denser?
Platelets trapped in the fibrin mesh will retract
This aids in toughening up the clot and bringing the edges of the wound together
What is Virchow’s triad?
- Injury to the vessel wall
- Abnormal blood flow (stasis)
- Increased coaguability of blood
Describes the factors likely to contribute to thrombus formation
What are the two types of thrombus?
- Red thrombi
- White thrombi
Describe white thrombi
They are formed primarily of platelets and a few red blood cells
A fibrin mesh holds this together
Where are white thrombi likely to develop?
In the coronary circulation
They can detach forming emboli affecting the brain or another organ
Which drug class is utilised to treat white thrombi?
Antiplatelet drugs
(white thrombi contain mostly platelets)
Describe red thrombi
Red thrombi have a higher concentration of red blood cells than white thrombi
They also have less platelets and fibrin and are more jelly-like
Where are red thrombi likely to originate from?
Deep veins such as those in the lower limbs
Upon forming emboli they will tend to lodge in the lungs
Which drug class is used to treat red thrombi?
Anticoagulants
Upon activation, factor X will associate with what?
Cofactor Va