Evidence for prothrombin production and thrombin expression by phorbol ester-treated THP-1 cells

David L. Giuntoli, Gregory S. Retzinger*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

With the addition of fibrinogen, fibrin clots form in serum-free culture medium recovered from phorbol ester-treated THP-1 cells. We attribute this coagulant activity to thrombin generated as a consequence of cell stimulation because the coagulant activity exists in serum-free culture medium from treated cells only, and it is inhibited by hirudin. The thrombin does not derive from a prothrombin/thrombin contaminant since no detectable prothrombin/thrombin preexists in either the serum-free culture medium or the fibrinogen preparations used for our experiments. We hypothesized that the thrombin is synthesized by the cells themselves. In support of this hypothesis, we found that prothrombin mRNA is expressed in THP-1 cells following their treatment with phorbol eater. Accompanying expression of this mRNA, prothrombin antigen becomes detectable in lysates of PMA-treated THP-1 cells, and thrombin antigen and activity become detectable in both lysates and culture medium of treated cells. These results are consistent with the notion that certain cells of myelomonocytic lineage are capable of synthesizing proteins relevant to coagulation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)53-62
Number of pages10
JournalExperimental and Molecular Pathology
Volume64
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1997

Funding

1This work was funded, in part, by an institutional research challenge grant to G.S.R. from the University of Cincinnati, by a grant to G.S.R. from the Ohio Affiliate of the American Heart Association, and by support to G.S.R. from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the University of Cincinnati.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Evidence for prothrombin production and thrombin expression by phorbol ester-treated THP-1 cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this