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Cerebral sinus thrombosis as a potential hazard of antifibrinolytic treatment in menorrhagia.

We describe a 42-year-old woman who developed superior sagittal and left transverse sinus thrombosis associated with prolonged epsilon-aminocaproic acid therapy for menorrhagia. This antifibrinolytic agent has been used in women with menorrhagia to promote clotting and reduce blood loss. Although increased risk of thromboembolic disease has been reported during treatment with epsilon-aminocaproic acid, cerebral sinus thrombosis has not been previously described. Careful use of epsilon-aminocaproic acid therapy is recommended.

Adult↗

[Intravenous administration of deamino-D-arginine-vasopressin (DDAVP) to patients with hemophilia A and von Willebrand's disease].

Following an intravenous infusion of DDAVP in a single dose of 0.3 microgram/kg b.w. and subsequent infusion of 4 g of epsilon-aminocaproic acid, 28 tooth extractions have been performed in 18 patients with mild haemophilia A and 5 patients with type I von Willebrand's disease. During the subsequent 7-10 days, the patients received epsilon-aminocaproic acid orally. In 89% of cases the healing was uneventful and no bleeding complications occurred. A single infusion of DDAVP and epsilon-aminocaproic acid was also effective for the management of muscle hematoma ++ and haemarthroses in 4 of the 7 mildly affected haemophiliacs. In the remaining 3, the symptoms of bleeding subsided following repeated infusion of DDAVP. The results indicate that a single intravenous infusions of DDAVP when combined with the administration of antifibrinolytic agents can insure sufficient haemostasis after tooth extraction and is useful for the management of muscle hematoma and hemarthroses in patients with mild haemophilia A mild von Willebrand's disease.

Adult↗

Antithrombin III in cardiac surgery: an outcome study.

A retrospective study examined the impact, in heparin resistant patients (HRP), of lyophilized antithrombin III (ATIII) upon five patient outcomes: intensive care unit stay (ICU-S), 24 hour chest tube drainage (CTD in ml), blood and blood product usage (BPU), development of postoperative coagulopathy (PO-Coag), and reoperation for bleeding (Re-Op). Data was collected from the medical records of 311 patients admitted to the hospital between 12/15/95 and 10/24/96. Subjects were divided into three groups based upon heparin resistance and hemostasis medication. Group 1 (n = 109) were HRP treated with increased heparin, Group 2 (n = 100) were HRP receiving ATIII, and Group 3 (n = 102) were non-HRP and served as controls. Group 2 was also subdivided by use of aminocaproic acid and time of ATIII administration. No significant differences were found between the groups for PO-Coag. and Re-Op. However, significant reduction in CTD (p = 0.05) was seen in the aminocaproic acid patients who were treated with ATIII pre-CPB or within the first 20 minutes of CPB. The CTD in this group was (419.37, +/- 72.96) as compared to Group 1 (782.88, +/- 360.94) and Group 3 (766.67, +/- 407.56). Other Group 2 subgroups showed significant differences in BPU, ICU-S and CTD. The results of this study support the notion that early identification and treatment of HRP with ATIII and aminocaproic acid may decrease postoperative blood loss.

Aminocaproic Acid↗

Role of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in thrombospondin 1-mediated tumor cell invasion.

We previously showed that thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) upregulates the plasminogen/plasmin system and promotes breast tumor cell invasion. Preliminary data from our laboratory using neutralizing antibodies suggested that the upregulation in breast tumor cell invasion seen in response to TSP-1 involved the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). To confirm these findings in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, we developed three other strategies to study the role of uPAR in tumor cell adhesion and TSP-1-mediated tumor cell invasion: (a) enzymatic cleavage of uPAR with glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C; (b) inhibition at the mRNA level with a uPAR antisense construct (cells named LKAS-MDA); (c) inhibition of plasminogen binding with the lysine analogue epsilon-aminocaproic acid. Adhesion to laminin and type I and type IV collagen with and without the addition of epsilon-aminocaproic acid was studied. Tumor cell invasion was studied in a modified Boyden chamber collagen invasion assay. Antisense uPAR inhibition decreased uPAR expression by 48-66% and cell-associated urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) by 30-68%. Additionally, antisense uPAR inhibition induced a 68-70% reduction in uPA and plasmin activities. Antisense uPAR transfection increased tumor cell adhesion by 46-53%. A similar effect was observed in epsilon-aminocaproic acid-treated MDA-MB-231 cells. TSP-1-mediated tumor cell invasion was almost completely inhibited by either antisense uPAR inhibition or treatment with phospholipase C or epsilon-aminocaproic acid. We conclude that uPAR plays a crucial role in the regulation of tumor cell adhesion and TSP-1-mediated tumor cell invasion.

Antisense Elements (Genetics)↗

Aprotinin: an update of its pharmacology and therapeutic use in open heart surgery and coronary artery bypass surgery.

UNLABELLED: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with defective haemostasis which results in bleeding and the requirement for allogenic blood product transfusions in many patients undergoing open heart surgery (OHS) and/or coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) with CPB. Conservation of blood has become a priority during surgery because of shortages of donor blood, the risks associated with the use of allogenic blood products and the costs of these products. Aprotinin is a serine protease inhibitor isolated from bovine lung tissue which acts in a number of interrelated ways to provide an antifibrinolytic effect, inhibit contact activation, reduce platelet dysfunction and attenuate the inflammatory response to CPB. It is used to reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements in patients with a risk of haemorrhage and has clear advantages over placebo or no treatment. High dose aprotinin significantly reduces postoperative blood loss compared with aminocaproic acid and desmopressin, and decreases transfusion requirements compared with desmopressin. Results are less consistent with tranexamic acid: high dose aprotinin either reduces blood loss significantly more than, or to an equivalent level to, tranexamic acid. A variety of other lower aprotinin dosage regimens consistently result in similar reductions in blood loss to aminocaproic acid or tranexamic acid. Data from clinical trials indicate that aprotinin is generally well tolerated, and the adverse events seen are those expected in patients undergoing OHS and/or CABG with CPB. Hypersensitivity reactions occur in <0.1 to 0.6% of patients receiving aprotinin for the first time. The results of original reports indicating that aprotinin therapy may increase myocardial infarction rates or mortality have not been supported by more recent studies specifically designed to investigate this outcome. However, a tendency to early vein graft occlusion with aprotinin has been shown and care with anticoagulation and vessel grafts is required. No comparative tolerability data between aprotinin and the lysine analogues, aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid, are available. CONCLUSION: Comparative tolerability and cost-effectiveness data for aprotinin and the lysine analogues are required to more fully assess their individual roles in reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements in patients undergoing CPB during OHS and/or CABG. However, clinical evidence to date supports the use of aprotinin over its competitors in patients at high risk of haemorrhage, in those for whom transfusion is unavailable or in patients who refuse allogenic transfusions.

Aprotinin↗

Inhibition of the classical and alternative pathways by amino acids and their derivatives.

Effects of various aminoacids and their derivatives on the classical pathway and alternative pathway of the complement were studied. Leupeptin, acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-arginal, inhibited CH50 and Cl-esterase, but did not inhibit the alternative pathway. When aminoacids of carbon chains of the order of seven were used, arginine and lysine had stronger effects than trans-aminomethyl cyclohexane carboxylic acid (t-AMCHA), cis-aminomethyl cyclohexane carboxylic acid (cis-AMCHA) and epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA). SH-compounds, cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione, had the strongest inhibitory effects among these aminoacids on both classical and alternative pathways. When effects on Cl esterase were compared, arginine, lysine, t-AMCHA, cis-AMCHA and EACA had weak inhibition while SH-compounds showed strong inhibition. Poly-L-lysine, which had extremely strong inhibition of CH50, had no inhibition of Cl esterase. The inhibitory effects of antifibrinolytic agents, EACA and t-AMCHA, were weak but when effects on early parts of the classical pathway, C(1,4,2)H50 were tested, some inhibitory activities were recognized. Thus inhibitory effects of these agents were due to their activities on the early parts of the classical pathway.

Amino Acids↗

Traumatic hyphema in an urban population.

We reviewed 241 patients (178 black and 63 white) who were examined and treated at the Detroit Medical Center between 1980 and 1989 for traumatic hyphema. Secondary hemorrhage occurred in 46 patients (19%) and was significantly higher in black patients (P less than .005). Thirty-one patients (67%) developing secondary hemorrhage had an initial hyphema filling less than 25% of the anterior chamber. Patients treated with aminocaproic acid had secondary hemorrhages at a rate of 11% (six patients) compared to 21% (40 patients) in patients who were not treated with aminocaproic acid. The high risk of secondary hemorrhage with potential ocular damage in patients with traumatic hyphema, especially black patients, supports the benefit of hospitalization and the administration of aminocaproic acid.

Adolescent↗

Reducing hemostatic activation during cardiopulmonary bypass: a combined approach.

UNLABELLED: Interventions such as heparin-coated circuits, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, and reduced shed blood reinfusion have shown mixed results when applied individually for limiting hemostatic activation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We compared coagulation and fibrinolytic activation during conventional CPB (control) (CTRL) using noncoated circuits, no antifibrinolytics, and open cardiotomy with a combined strategy (HAC) that used heparin-coated circuits, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, and closed cardiotomy. Blood samples were drawn before, during, and after CPB for primary coronary bypass grafting surgery from 9 CTRL patients and 10 HAC patients. Thrombin-antithrombin complex and fibrinopeptide A levels (markers of thrombin and fibrin generation) were reduced in the HAC versus CTRL group after 30 min of CPB (P < 0.05). Average tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) levels were significantly lower in the HAC group by 30 min on CPB (P < 0.05), resulting in preservation of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 during CPB (P < 0.05). D-Dimer, a measure of intravascular fibrin formation and removal, was reduced in the HAC group during and after CPB (P < 0.005). Overall, the combined strategy was associated with a reduction in CPB-induced increases in markers of thrombin generation, fibrin formation, tPA release, and fibrin degradation and better preservation of PAI-1. IMPLICATIONS: A combined approach during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) that uses heparin-coated circuits, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, and limited reinfusion of shed pericardial blood is associated with reduced activation of the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems that typically occurs during conventional CPB.

Aged↗

Clinical application of inhibitors of fibrinolysis.

The basic proteinase inhibitor from bovine organs, aprotinin, was first identified in 1930 and its effect on enzyme and other biological systems has since been extensively studied. Aprotinin can only be administered intravenously and has a half-life of about 2 hours. Its administration at the start of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery appears to reduce blood loss and to protect against global myocardial ischaemia. Similarly, a smaller infarct size seems to result from early administration of aprotinin within the first hour after myocardial infarction, though further studies are needed to confirm this effect. A combination of aprotinin with tranexamic acid may be effective in preventing or delaying rebleeding after rupture of an intracerebral aneurysm; the addition of aprotinin seems to decrease the incidence of delayed cerebral vasospasm and ischaemic complications which are sometimes noted when tranexamic acid alone is used. Aprotinin is also effective as adjuvant treatment in traumatic haemorrhagic shock. The recommended loading dose is 15,000 to 20,000 KIU/kg bodyweight administered as a short intravenous infusion, followed by 50,000 KIU/hour by continuous infusion. Side effects of aprotinin are very rare. Epsilon-Aminocaproic acid (EACA), p-aminomethylbenzoic acid (PAMBA) and tranexamic acid are synthetic antifibrinolytic amino acids. Saturation of the lysine binding sites of plasminogen with these inhibitors displaces plasminogen from the fibrin surface. On a molar basis tranexamic acid is at least 7 times more potent that epsilon-aminocaproic acid and twice as potent as p-aminomethylbenzoic acid. All 3 compounds are readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and excreted in active form in the urine. The plasma half-life of tranexamic acid is about 80 minutes. The main indications for tranexamic acid are the prevention of excessive bleeding after tonsillectomy, prostatic surgery, and cervical conisation, and primary and IUD-induced menorrhagia. It is possible that gastric and intestinal bleeding can also be reduced as well as recurrent epistaxis. Tranexamic acid could also be useful after ocular trauma. The value of fibrinolysis inhibitors in the prevention of bleeding after tooth extraction in patients with haemophilia is well documented, as is the treatment of hereditary angioneurotic oedema. The usual dose of tranexamic acid is 0.5 to 1g (10 to 15 mg/kg bodyweight) given intravenously 2 to 3 times daily, or 1 to 1.5 g orally 3 to 4 times daily. This dose needs to be reduced in patients with renal insufficiency. The main side effects of tranexamic acid are nausea or diarrhoea.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗

Thrombus weight as a measure of hypercoagulability induced by drugs.

Thrombus weight was used as a measure of the thrombus enhancing effect of drugs in 135 rats. The weight of thrombus formed in one hour, on a 20 x 0.5 mm platinum wire, inserted in the vena cava was taken as a measure of thrombosis. The change in thrombus weight which followed the injection of ellagic acid to activate the coagulation system, adenosine diphosphate to activate the platelets, and epsilon-aminocaproic acid to inhibit the fibrinolytic system, was measured. Pilot studies showed that the drug doses used brought about the appropriate changes in the factors named. The mean thrombus weight in 45 control animals was 1.93 mg. Ellagic acid increased it about five-fold, and epsilon-aminocaproic acid almost two-fold, while adenosine diphosphate reduced it by almost a half. Concurrent controls were used in each case. Clotting tests (whole blood clotting time, kaolin-activated whole blood clotting time, thrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time), performed at the end of the hour, showed no significant correlation with thrombus weight.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Secondary hemorrhage in traumatic hyphema.

We analyzed the records of 132 patients hospitalized between July 1986 and February 1989 for management of traumatic hyphema. The incidence of secondary hemorrhage was compared between patients treated with or without systemic administration of aminocaproic acid in addition to an otherwise identical protocol. Results among patients who were examined within one day of injury disclosed a 4.8% secondary hemorrhage rate in aminocaproic acid-treated patients (three of 63 patients) compared with a 5.4% rate in the patients not treated with aminocaproic acid (three of 56 patients, P = .31). All six patients sustaining secondary hemorrhage recovered visual acuities of 20/40 or better, with five of six patients achieving 20/20 visual acuities. A separate group of 13 patients who were examined more than one day after injury were found to have a secondary hemorrhage rate of 38.5% (five of 13 patients). Macular injury, not secondary hemorrhage, was most often responsible among those patients suffering permanent visual loss. In this study of a predominantly white population, patients had a relatively low incidence of secondary hemorrhage and did not demonstrate detectable benefit from aminocaproic acid administration. Because of the recognized side effects and cost of treatment, further analysis to determine which patients will benefit from treatment with aminocaproic acid is indicated.

Adolescent↗

Protease inhibitors in the treatment of hereditary angioedema.

Deficiency of C1 Inhibitor leads to unopposed activation of complement, with localized, unpredictable, and sometimes life-threatening attacks of angioedema. Treatment with plasma-derived C1 Inhibitor rapidly aborts attacks, and may be lifesaving, but is expensive, requires use of a pooled blood product, may need to be repeated and may not be effective in autoantibody mediated angioedema. The antifibrinolytic agents aprotinin, tranexamic acid, and epsilon-aminocaproic acid are useful for prophylaxis and treatment of angioedema, likely by inhibiting plasmin. Specific drugs to replace the deficient C1 Inh have not been reported. The kallikrein inhibitor DX-88 (Dyax) has received orphan drug status in Europe and is undergoing clinical trial in Europe and the USA.

Aminocaproic Acid↗

Antifibrinolytic additives to fibrin glue for laparoscopic wound closure in urinary tract.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fibrinolytic activity of urine may rapidly degrade fibrin glue used in the urinary tract, thereby limiting tissue adhesion. The goals of this study were to verify the ability of antifibrinolytic agents to delay the degradation of fibrin glue in the urinary tract and to assess the results of this delay on subsequent wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 25 domestic pigs, a 3.5-cm incision in the urinary bladder was left open (N = 6) or closed laparoscopically with fibrin glue alone (N = 6), fibrin glue containing aprotinin 5000 KIU/mL (N = 6), or fibrin glue containing aprotinin 2500 KIU/mL with (N = 4) or without (N = 3) aminocaproic acid 12.5 mg/mL. At harvest 7 days later, the bladder was tested for leakage. Histologic features were scored by a pathologist blinded to the closure method. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the groups in the amount of leakage at harvest. Significant fibrin glue material in the wound was noted more often in the pigs treated with fibrin glue plus aprotinin (7 of 13) than in the fibrin glue-only group (0 of 6; P = 0.04). The presence of significant fibrin material in the wound correlated well with absence of granulation tissue (P < 0.001), such that granulation tissue bridging the wound edges was found more often in the fibrin glue-only group (6 of 6) than in the groups treated with fibrin glue plus aprotinin (4 of 13; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although aprotinin +/- aminocaproic acid did delay the degradation of fibrin glue used to close a bladder wound, it was associated with inhibition of granulation tissue in the glued wound. These findings suggest that aprotinin alone and aprotinin plus aminocaproic acid are not useful additives to fibrin glue used for wound closure in the urinary tract.

Aminocaproates↗

Natural and synthetic antifibrinolytics in cardiac surgery.

In an effort to reduce morbidity associated with transfusion of blood products, the use of antifibrinolytics to decrease bleeding and transfusions after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is receiving widespread attention. The predominant haemostatic defect induced by CPB and, therefore, the mechanisms by which natural (aprotinin) or synthetic antifibrinolytics (sigma-amino-caproic acid, tranexamic acid) exert their effects have been difficult to define. Nonetheless, all three substances appear to be effective in the treatment or in the prevention of excessive bleeding associated with cardiac surgery. However, the administration of these drugs should not attempt to replace meticulous surgical and anaesthetic care. In particular, the importance of an appropriate transfusion practice cannot be overemphasized. The efficient use of these, sometimes expensive, drugs must take into account not only the initial cost, but also the short- and long-term economic consequences for the health care provider of using, or not using, a given medication. Unfortunately, the comprehensive data on which authoritative conclusions may be reached are not yet available. Pending availability of these data, the present use of antifibrinolytics at the Montreal Heart Institute is the following: (1) patients undergoing elective primary myocardial revascularization or valve surgery do not receive prophylactic antifibrinolytics; (2) patients undergoing repeat myocardial revascularization, repeat valve surgery, or primary or repeat combined procedures, receive prophylactic sigma-aminocaproic acid; (3) sigma-aminocaproic acid may be used to treat excessive chest drainage in the postoperative period; (4) the prophylactic and the therapeutic uses of low doses of aprotinin are currently under investigation.

Aminocaproic Acid↗

The risk associated with aprotinin in cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: The majority of patients undergoing surgical treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction receive antifibrinolytic therapy to limit blood loss. This approach appears counterintuitive to the accepted medical treatment of the same condition--namely, fibrinolysis to limit thrombosis. Despite this concern, no independent, large-scale safety assessment has been undertaken. METHODS: In this observational study involving 4374 patients undergoing revascularization, we prospectively assessed three agents (aprotinin [1295 patients], aminocaproic acid [883], and tranexamic acid [822]) as compared with no agent (1374 patients) with regard to serious outcomes by propensity and multivariable methods. (Although aprotinin is a serine protease inhibitor, here we use the term antifibrinolytic therapy to include all three agents.) RESULTS: In propensity-adjusted, multivariable logistic regression (C-index, 0.72), use of aprotinin was associated with a doubling in the risk of renal failure requiring dialysis among patients undergoing complex coronary-artery surgery (odds ratio, 2.59; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.36 to 4.95) or primary surgery (odds ratio, 2.34; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.27 to 4.31). Similarly, use of aprotinin in the latter group was associated with a 55 percent increase in the risk of myocardial infarction or heart failure (P<0.001) and a 181 percent increase in the risk of stroke or encephalopathy (P=0.001). Neither aminocaproic acid nor tranexamic acid was associated with an increased risk of renal, cardiac, or cerebral events. Adjustment according to propensity score for the use of any one of the three agents as compared with no agent yielded nearly identical findings. All the agents reduced blood loss. CONCLUSIONS: The association between aprotinin and serious end-organ damage indicates that continued use is not prudent. In contrast, the less expensive generic medications aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid are safe alternatives.

Adult↗

Are antifibrinolytic drugs equivalent in reducing blood loss and transfusion in cardiac surgery? A meta-analysis of randomized head-to-head trials.

BACKGROUND: Aprotinin has been shown to be effective in reducing peri-operative blood loss and the need for re-operation due to continued bleeding in cardiac surgery. The lysine analogues tranexamic acid (TXA) and epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) are cheaper, but it is not known if they are as effective as aprotinin. METHODS: Studies were identified by searching electronic databases and bibliographies of published articles. Data from head-to-head trials were pooled using a conventional (Cochrane) meta-analytic approach and a Bayesian approach which estimated the posterior probability of TXA and EACA being equivalent to aprotinin; we used as a non-inferiority boundary a 20% increase in the rates of transfusion or re-operation because of bleeding. RESULTS: Peri-operative blood loss was significantly greater with TXA and EACA than with aprotinin: weighted mean differences were 106 mls (95% CI 37 to 227 mls) and 185 mls (95% CI 134 to 235 mls) respectively. The pooled relative risks (RR) of receiving an allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion with TXA and EACA, compared with aprotinin, were 1.08 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.32) and 1.14 (95% CI 0.84 to 1.55) respectively. The equivalent Bayesian posterior mean relative risks were 1.15 (95% Bayesian Credible Interval [BCI] 0.90 to 1.68) and 1.21 (95% BCI 0.79 to 1.82) respectively. For transfusion, using a 20% non-inferiority boundary, the posterior probabilities of TXA and EACA being non-inferior to aprotinin were 0.82 and 0.76 respectively. For re-operation the Cochrane RR for TXA vs. aprotinin was 0.98 (95% CI 0.51 to 1.88), compared with a posterior mean Bayesian RR of 0.63 (95% BCI 0.16 to 1.46). The posterior probability of TXA being non-inferior to aprotinin was 0.92, but this was sensitive to the inclusion of one small trial. CONCLUSION: The available data are conflicting regarding the equivalence of lysine analogues and aprotinin in reducing peri-operative bleeding, transfusion and the need for re-operation. Decisions are sensitive to the choice of clinical outcome and non-inferiority boundary. The data are an uncertain basis for replacing aprotinin with the cheaper lysine analogues in clinical practice. Progress has been hampered by small trials and failure to study clinically relevant outcomes.

Aminocaproic Acid↗

Kringle solution structures via NMR: two-dimensional 1H-NMR analysis of horse plasminogen kringle 4.

The kringle 4 domain of equine plasminogen (ePgn/K4), a close variant of the human homolog (hPgn/K4), contains residues, such as Trp32, which also appear in human apolipoprotein(a) kringle 4-type modules. The ePgn/K4 was investigated as a complex with epsilon-aminocaproic acid, an antifibrinolytic drug, by two-dimensional 1H-NMR spectroscopy at 500 MHz. Secondary structure elements were recognized from sequential medium and long-range dipolar (proton Overhauser) interactions, as well as from the identification of resonances originating from backbone amide protons with slow 1H-2H exchange in 2H2O. Antiparallel beta-sheets, consisting of strands 52-53, 61-65 and 71-75, were identified. Additionally, the segments 14-16 and 20-22 were found to assume characteristic interstrand antiparallel (beta-sheet-like) H-bond pairing. Four type I turns could be identified in strands 6-9, 16-19, 24-27 and 67-70. Ten structures were generated using distance geometry methods, followed by dynamic simulated annealing calculations. The root mean squares deviation of the distances was 2.79 A for all atoms and 1.81 A for backbone atoms only. Hydrogen bridges, involving side chain hydroxyl groups, were identified for Thr16 and Thr65. As observed for the hPgn/K4, the three-dimensional structure of the ePgn/K4 is mainly defined by two antiparallel beta-sheets, 14-16/20-22 and 62-66/71-75, which are oriented perpendicular to each other. Adjacent to these is a hydrophobic pocket, formed by Trp62, Tyr64, Trp72 and Phe74, whose side chains contribute a lipophilic component to the exposed lysine binding site surface. In contrast to the Trp25, Trp62 and Trp72 residues, conserved in the human and equine homologs, the spectrum of the Trp32 side chain reveals an unrestrained, solvent-exposed indole ring.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Stabilization of plasmin by lysine derivatives.

Plasmin is a serine protease with trypsin-like specificity and is activated from plasminogen by several plasminogen activators. Since plasmin has lysine binding site in its heavy chain, lysine derivatives react with plasmin and then modify its activity. The effects of lysine derivatives such as epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and tranexamic acid on bovine plasmin activity were investigated. In the absence of lysine derivatives, the bovine plasmin activity which was evaluated as the amidolytic activity was reduced in a time- or temperature-dependent manner. However, the bovine plasmin activity became stable upon adding EACA or tranexamic acid. When plasmin was incubated at 4 degrees C for 1, 3 or 5 days without lysine derivatives, the plasmin activity decreased to 43.9%, 19.9% and 11.9% of the initial activity, respectively. On the other hand, when plasmin was incubated at 37 degrees C for 1, 3 or 5 days with tranexamic acid, its activity remained at 110%, 95.6% and 85.9%, respectively. After bovine plasmin had been incubated for 5 days at 4 degrees C in the absence of tranexamic acid, the plasmin activity declined to less than 20%. However, when bovine plasmin had been incubated for 5 days at 37 degrees C in the presence of tranexamic acid, the residual plasmin activity was more than 80%. A similar effect of EACA on bovine plasmin was observed, but it was weaker than that of tranexamic acid. Reversed-phase HPLC followed by SDS-PAGE demonstrated that bovine plasmin was degraded into several fragments. Amino acid sequencing of these fragments revealed that the Lys77-Arg78 or Arg78-Ile79, Arg342-Met343 and Arg557-Ile558 peptide bonds in the bovine plasmin molecule were cleft, respectively. Only the fragment consisting of the amino acid region from Met343 to the C-terminal amino acid, Asn786, exhibited amidolytic activity. In proportion to inactivation of the bovine plasmin, this fragment disappeared. The above findings suggest that lysine derivatives react with bovine plasmin and then stabilize the activity of plasmin by preventing the degradation of active fragment (Met343-Asn786).

Amino Acid Sequence↗