Generation of a Vasoactive Substance in Human Plasma during Coagulation

A stimulant of vascular smooth muscle contraction was generated in fresh, citrated human plasma during activation of the clotting system. Plasma, exposed briefly to thromboplastin and Ca⁺⁺, induced a contraction of isolated rabbit aorta and dog coronary arteries that was slow in development and persisted after washout. The contractile activity was not blocked by phenoxybenzamine, atropine, or angiotensin inhibitor, but was blocked when heparin or hirudin was incubated with the plasma. The contractile stimulant produced in the plasma was short-lived (<3 min) and paralleled the appearance of thrombin in plasma. Purified human α-thrombin also induced a sustained contraction in these blood vessels that was not inhibited by phenoxybenzamine, atropine, or angiotensin inhibitor, but was blocked by hirudin. Partial relaxation of the thrombin-treated blood vessel was achieved by the addition of heparin. These results suggest that this vasoactive component of thromboplastin-activated human plasma is α-thrombin. Because of its potent and persistent effects, thrombin-induced vasospasm may be an important mechanism in the etiology of ischemic heart disease.