Kinetics of the inhibition of plasmin in acidified human plasma
Lijnen, H.R.; Maes, M.; Castel, M.; Samama, M.; Collen, D.
Thrombosis and Haemostasis 48(3): 257-259
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0340-6245 PMID: 6219470 Document Number: 185323
Acid-treated human plasma is a competitive inhibitor of the hydrolysis of D-Val-Leu-Lys-Nan (S-2251) by plasmin. The rate of hydrolysis is decreased to 50% by 750 fold diluted acidified normal plasma and by 60 fold diluted acidified alpha 2-antiplasmin depleted plasma (alpha 2-antiplasmin concentration less than 2%). These findings suggest that alpha 2-antiplasmin is a contributary but not the main competitive inhibitor of acidified plasma. This interpretation is supported by the finding that alpha 2-antiplasmin depleted plasma reconstituted with purified alpha 2-antiplasmin inhibits the hydrolysis of S-2251 by plasmin at a 125 fold dilution following acidification and by the finding that in a purified system acid inactivated alpha 2-antiplasmin inhibits the hydrolysis of S-2251 by plasmin with a Ki of 25 nM. Thus, besides alpha 2-antiplasmin, other plasma proteins which are at least in part eliminated by the removal of alpha 2-antiplasmin from plasma by immunoadsorption appear to be competitive inhibitors for plasmin in acidified plasma. It is suggested that several competitive inhibitors for plasmin are present and/or generated in acidified plasma and that these inhibitors may at least in part be responsible for the variability in the results of measurements of plasminogen and/or plasmin in plasma following acidification.