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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

RNA-seq Analysis of Transcriptomes in Thrombin-treated and Control Human Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells
Published on: February 13, 2013
Thrombin downregulates thrombomodulin expression and activity in primary human endothelial cells
Chantal Séguin1, Md Ruhul Abid, Katherine C Spokes
1Division of Molecular and Vascular Medicine and The Center for Vascular Biology Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. seguin@muhc. mcgill.ca
Thrombin reduces thrombomodulin (TM) expression and activity in endothelial cells. This suggests a positive feedback loop where coagulation activation may suppress anticoagulant protein C activation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Thrombomodulin (TM) is a crucial cell surface anticoagulant glycoprotein.
- TM regulates the protein C pathway, a key component of anticoagulation.
- Endothelial cell TM expression is influenced by extracellular signals, notably downregulated by inflammatory mediators like TNF-alpha and LPS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of thrombin on thrombomodulin (TM) expression and activity in human endothelial cells.
Main Methods:
- Primary cultures of human endothelial cells were treated with thrombin.
- TM expression was assessed at the mRNA, protein, and activity levels.
- The impact of the thrombin inhibitor hirudin was evaluated.
Main Results:
- Thrombin significantly reduced TM expression by approximately 40% at mRNA, protein, and activity levels.
- These inhibitory effects of thrombin on TM were completely blocked by hirudin.
- The findings indicate thrombin's direct impact on TM regulation.
Conclusions:
- Thrombin activation of the coagulation cascade can lead to a positive-feedback loop.
- This loop involves thrombin-mediated repression of TM-dependent protein C activation.
- These results highlight a novel mechanism potentially exacerbating thrombotic states.
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