Determination of prothombinase activation after adding human purified prothrombin to human clot: comparison of hirudin, an activated factor II inhibitor, with DX9065a, an activated factor X inhibitor, on clot-associated thrombin and on prothrombin activation

Evaluation of novel factor Xa inhibitors from Oxya chinensis sinuosa with anti-platelet aggregation activity

The edible grasshopper Oxya chinensis sinuosa is consumed worldwide for its various medicinal effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential bioactive antithrombotic and antiplatelet compounds from O. chinensis sinuosa. Five N-acetyldopamine dimers (1–5) were isolated from O. chinensis sinuosa and compounds 1 and 2 were identified as new chemicals with chiral centers at H-2 and H-3 of the benzo-1,4-dioxane structure. Compounds 1–4 were found to have both FXa and platelet aggregation inhibitory activities. These compounds inhibited the catalytic activity of FXa toward its synthetic substrate, S-2222, by noncompetitive inhibition, and inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP and U46619. Furthermore, compounds 1–4 showed enhanced antithrombotic effects, which were assessed using in vivo models of pulmonary embolism and arterial thrombosis. The isolated compounds also showed anticoagulant effects in mice. However, compounds 1–4 did not prolong bleeding time in mice, as shown by tail clipping. N-Acetyldopamine dimers, including two new stereoisomers 1 and 2, are novel antithrombotic compounds showing both FXa inhibition and antiplatelet aggregation activity with a low bleeding risk. Collectively, these results suggest that compounds 1–4 could serve as candidates and provide scaffolds for development of new antithrombotic drugs.

Edoxaban, a direct factor Xa inhibitor, suppresses tissue-factor induced human platelet aggregation and clot-bound factor Xa in vitro: Comparison with an antithrombin-dependent factor Xa inhibitor, fondaparinux

INTRODUCTION

Tissue factor-induced platelet aggregation and factor Xa (FXa) activity bound to clot contribute to the formation and growth of thrombus. The effects of edoxaban, a direct FXa inhibitor, on these responses were determined and compared with that of fondaparinux, an antithrombin-dependent (indirect) FXa inhibitor.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Human platelet aggregation was induced by human tissue factor (Dade Innovin or RecombiPlasTin) in platelet-rich plasma spiked with edoxaban or fondaparinux. Clot formed from human whole blood was incubated with 0.9μM prothrombin in the absence or presence of FXa inhibitors. As the index of FXa activity, the amount of prothrombin fragment F1+2 was measured with an ELISA. Free FXa activity was measured using human FXa and its chromogenic substrate S-2222.

RESULTS

Edoxaban inhibited tissue factor-induced platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner with the IC50 values of 150 and 110nM for Dade Innovin and RecombiPlasTin-induced platelet aggregation, respectively. At 1μM, edoxaban completely inhibited the aggregation. Fondaparinux inhibited RecombiPlasTin-induced aggregation with the IC50 of 9.3μM, but did not show complete inhibition up to 30μM and had no effect on Dade Innovin-induced aggregation. Edoxaban inhibited both free and clot-bound FXa with the IC50 of 2.3 and 8.2nM, respectively. Fondaparinux inhibited free FXa (IC50 5.4nM), but 40-times higher concentration were required to inhibit clot-bound FXa (IC50 217nM).

CONCLUSIONS

Edoxaban, a direct FXa inhibitor, was a more potent inhibitor of tissue factor-induced platelet aggregation and clot-bound FXa than fondaparinux, an indirect FXa inhibitor.

The coagulation factor Xa/protease activated receptor-2 axis in the progression of liver fibrosis: a multifaceted paradigm

Hepatic fibrosis is a common response to virtually all forms of chronic liver injury independent of the etiologic agent. Despite the relatively large population of patients suffering from hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis, no efficient and well-tolerated drugs are available for the treatment of this disorder. The lack of efficient treatment options is at least partly because the underlying cellular mechanisms leading to hepatic fibrosis are only partly understood. It is thus of pivotal importance to better understand the cellular processes contributing to the progression of hepatic fibrosis. Interestingly in this perspective, a common feature of fibrotic disease of various organs is the activation of the coagulation cascade and hepatic fibrosis is also accompanied by a local hypercoagulable state. Activated blood coagulation factors directly target liver cells by activating protease-activated receptors (PAR) thereby inducing a plethora of cellular responses like (among others) proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix production. Coagulation factor driven PAR activation thus establishes a potential link between activation of the coagulation cascade and the progression of fibrosis. The current review focuses on blood coagulation factor Xa and summarizes the variety of cellular functions induced by factor Xa-driven PAR-2 activation and the subsequent consequences for tissue repair and hepatic fibrosis.

Is the inhibition of both clot-associated thrombin and factor Xa more clinically relevant than either one alone?

The procoagulant activity of a thrombus is essentially due to clot-associated factor IIa and factor Xa activities.The aim of this review is to underline that specific antithrombin and anti-Xa drugs, such as r-hirudin and DX 9065a, respectively, are complementary, and could be used in combination in clinical trials in patients with acute arterial thrombosis such as coronary syndromes. After standardization of the in-vitro techniques for clot-bound thrombin and clot-associated factor Xa, we have studied the anticoagulant effect of unfractionated heparin and a low-molecular heparin in an in-vitro model. We have confirmed the inability of heparins to inhibit clot-bound thrombin and clot-associated factor Xa. We have compared r-hirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, with DX9065a, a direct factor Xa inhibitor. We have observed that r-hirudin inhibited clot-bound thrombin but not clot-bound factor Xa. After r-hirudin treatment interruption, a hypercoagulation rebound has been reported and it could be in relation with the persistence of factor Xa activity in the clot. We have demonstrated that DX9065a inhibits clot-bound factor Xa but does not inhibit clot-bound factor IIa. The complementary effect of DX9065a and r-hirudin is demonstrated in this experimental model. It is likely that several other combinations of drugs may also exhibit an increase of the antithrombotic activity which could be of interest in clinical implication for the treatment of several groups of patients at high risk of arterial thrombosis.

New anticoagulants for venous thromboembolic disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In this paper, recent advances in new anticoagulants with the potential to be used for prevention or treatment of venous thrombosis are reviewed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Numerous novel anticoagulants targeting specific stages of the coagulant pathway are in various stages of development. Fondaparinux, an indirect activated factor VII inhibitor, has been shown to be effective for initial treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism, but still requires parenteral administration. Ximelagatran, an oral direct thrombin inhibitor, has also been shown to effective for treatment and prevention of venous thrombosis. Both agents are associated with bleeding, however, and ximelagatran is associated with hepatic toxicity with long-term use. Direct activated factor X inhibitors, orally available forms of heparin, and other direct thrombin inhibitors remain in early stages of development. Further data on the clinical utility of these agents are likely to emerge in the next few years, and uptake of their use will be affected by the cost considerations.

SUMMARY

Numerous alternative anticoagulants are in varying stages of development. Clinical data have yet to show that these agents have a clearly superior risk-benefit ratio compared with currently used antithrombotics. Many drugs remain in initial stages of development. The ideal anticoagulant agent is being sought but has yet to be discovered.