Anticoagulant effect of aspirin goes beyond platelet aggregation
5/15/2007 web-based article Carey Cowles Hem/Onc Today (www.hemonctoday.com) Aspirin’s many mechanisms of action against cardiovascular events may also help to explain reported resistance to therapy. Aspirin’s effect on homeostasis is well-known. Low-dose aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, 81 mg) inhibits the enzyme Cox-1, which produces thromboxane A-2, necessary for platelet aggregation. “The primary effect of aspirin as an anticoagulant is thought to involve platelet function; however, aspirin is also an anti-inflammatory,” said Kenneth Mann, PhD, a professor from the department of biochemistry at the University of Vermont. Less clear are other methods by which aspirin acts as an anticoagulant. In a review article published in "Blood", Mann, Anetta Undas, MD, PhD, and colleagues presented an overview of other possible antithrombotic properties of aspirin. Thrombin formation Thrombin (activated Factor II [IIa]), a serine protease, converts fibrinogen into insoluble strands of fibrin. Fibrin, a protein, crosslinks with Factor XIII enzyme (fibrin stabilizing Factor FXIII) and combines with platelets to form a clot. Studies of microvascular injury models have demonstrated that aspirin at a daily dose of 30 mg administered for one week decreased thrombin formation in healthy patients. Aspirin at higher doses (75 mg and 300 mg) decreased concentrations of thrombin markers similarly, as did a single dose of 500 mg following a period of aspirin therapy. This thrombin-lowering effect was found in healthy individuals and patients with increased risk for coronary artery disease. A seven-day course of low-dose (75 mg) aspirin was associated with slower prothrombin consumption (by 29%), thrombin formation (by 27.2%) [...]