Mr. Loureirosilva et al., PLASMA KALLIKREIN AND THROMBIN ARE CLEARED THROUGH UNRELATED HEPATIC PATHWAYS, Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis, 4(4), 1993, pp. 551-554
Plasma kallikrein (PK) and thrombin (TH), serine proteinases formed fr
om inactive precursors, participate in important body defence mechanis
ms. The isolated hepatocyte recognizes TH, and the liver clears PK by
calcium-independent receptors through mechanisms that are not yet clea
rly understood. It is known that heparin impairs the binding of TH to
isolated liver cells through the inhibition of high affinity receptors
. Using an isolated, exsanguinated and perfused rat liver preparation
we confirmed that the TH hepatic clearance is calcium-independent and
affected by heparin; PK clearance rates both in the presence (t1/2 10
+/- 2 min) or the absence (t1/2 10 +/- 1 min) of heparin were similar;
the presence of beta-galactosides does not impair the TH clearance bu
t adversely affects the PK clearance and a large excess of TH does not
impair the PK clearance rate (t1/2 6 +/- 1 min). These results indica
te that PK and TH are cleared by calcium-independent but otherwise unr
elated hepatic pathways and suggest that TH may indeed facilitate the
PK clearance by the liver.