Plasma lipoproteins support prothrombinase and other procoagulant enzymatic complexes

Abstract

The prothrombinase complex (factor [F]Xa, FVa, calcium ions, and lipid membrane) converts prothrombin to thrombin (FIIa). To determine whether plasma lipoproteins could provide a physiologically relevant surface, we determined the rates of FIIa production by using purified human coagulation factors, and isolated fasting plasma lipoproteins from healthy donors. In the presence of 5 nmol/L FVa, 5 nmol/L FXa, and 1.4 μmol/L prothrombin, physiological levels of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) (0.45 to 0.9 mmol/l triglyceride, or 100 to 200 μmol/L phospholipid yielded rates of 2 to 8 nmol FIIa · L-1 · s-1 in a donor-dependent manner. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) also supported prothrombinase but at much lower rates (≤1.0 nmol FIIa · L-1 · s-1). For comparison, VLDL at 2 mmol/L triglyceride yielded ≃50% the activity of 2 x 108 thrombin-activated platelets per milliliter. Although the FIIa production rate was slower on VLDL than on synthetic phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine vesicles (≃50 nmol FIIa · L-1 · s-1), the prothrombin K(m) values were similar, 0.8 and 0.5 μmol/L, respectively. Extracted VLDL lipids supported rates approaching those of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine vesicles, indicating the importance of the intact VLDL conformation. However, the presence of VLDL-associated, factor-specific inhibitors was ruled out by titration experiments, suggesting a key role for lipid organization. VLDL also supported FIIa generation in an assay system comprising 0.1 nmol/L FVIIa; 0.55 nmol/L tissue factor; physiological levels of FV, FVIII, FIX, and FX; and prothrombin (3 nmol/L FIIa · L-1 · s-1). These results indicate that isolated human VLDL can support all the components of the extrinsic coagulation pathway, yielding physiologically relevant rates of thrombin generation in a donor-dependent manner. This support is dependent on the intact lipoprotein structure and does not appear to be regulated by specific VLDL-associated inhibitors. Further studies are needed to determined the extent of this activity in vivo.