Fibronectin: blood turnover in normal animals and during intravascular coagulation

Plasma fibronectin (FN) binds fibrin in vitro by both noncovalent and covalent bonds and is decreased in DIC. In rabbits, conventionally purified 125I-FN had a complex blood clearance with a late t1/2 of 71 hr. A large portion was apparently altered, as evinced by rapid clearance and an intravascular/total body ratio (C1) of 0.28-0.51. 3H-labeled FN, made in vivo by injection of 3H amino acids, had a t1/2 of 73 hr. Crosstransfusion of 131I-FN and 3H-FN into a second set of animals gave similar t1/2s and C1s of 0.74-0.82, indicating the altered 125I-FN was biologically screened in the first animals. Other animals were given 125I-fibrinogen and "screened" 131I-FN. Intravenous thrombin (50-60 U/kg/1 hr) caused a 25%-50% decrease in both 125I-fibrinogen and 131I-FN. Ancrod injection reduced fibrinogen by greater than 90% but had no effect on 131I-FN. 131I-FN levels did not change when thrombin was given after ancrod. No cross-linked FN-fibrinogen alpha-chain was found in the plasma, nor was the thrombin-induced fall in FN affected by spermidine blockade. These experiments demonstrate that FN and fibrin bind in vivo during defibrination and are rapidly cleared from the blood. The abnormal fibrin resulting from ancrod either does not bind FN in vivo or does so reversibly.