REVIEW: Vascular-Platelet and Plasma Hemostasis Regulators from Bloodsucking Animals

A. V. Basanova¹, I. P. Baskova^1*, and L. L. Zavalova²

¹School of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119899 Russia; fax: (095) 939-1745

²Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, Moscow, 117997 Russia; fax: (095) 330-6538; E-mail: leech@humgen.siobc.ras.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received June 6, 2001; Revision received July 3, 2001

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Saliva of bloodsuckers (leeches, insects, ticks, vampire bats) contains various regulators of some hemostatic stages. This review summarizes information on their structural characteristics and mechanisms of action. Most bloodsuckers are shown to inhibit vascular-platelet hemostasis by blocking collagen-induced platelet adhesion/aggregation. Plasma hemostasis is inhibited by blocking activation of factor X or factor Xa directly.

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KEY WORDS: bloodsuckers, leeches, insects, ticks, vascular-platelet hemostasis, platelet adhesion and aggregation, prothrombinase complex, factor Xa

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