ANTICOAGULANT ACTIVITY OF TRIATOMA-INFESTANS AND PANSTRONGYLUS-MEGISTUS-SALIVA (HEMIPTERA TRIATOMINAE)/

Salivary gland extract of Triatoma infestans prolonged thrombin time, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time, while sal ivary gland extract of Panstrongylus mesgistus delayed thrombin time a nd activated partial thromboplastin time. However, saliva of P. megist us prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and saliva of T. in festans delayed activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time. T. infestans saliva interferes particularly with activity of fac tor VIII (intrinsic pathway) and factor V (common pathway), but also a ffects other factors. Saliva of the triatomine species studied present ed distinct SDS-PAGE profiles. These results demonstrate that there ar e differences in anticoagulant activity and protein composition of tri atomine saliva.