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Vascular-platelet and plasma hemostasis regulators from bloodsucking animals
A V Basanova1, I P Baskova, L L Zavalova
1School of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119899, Russia. leech@humgen.siobc.ras.ru
Biochemistry. Biokhimiia
|February 14, 2002
Abstract:
Saliva of bloodsuckers (leeches, insects, ticks, vampire bats) contains various regulators of some hemostatic stages. This review summarizes information on their structural characteristics and mechanisms of action. Most bloodsuckers are shown to inhibit vascular-platelet hemostasis by blocking collagen-induced platelet adhesion/aggregation. Plasma hemostasis is inhibited by blocking activation of factor X or factor Xa directly.