Caracterização bioquímica da atividade pró-coagulante de proteases de fluidos laticíferos

Abstract

Latex proteases have grown in attention because of their ability to exhibit both thrombin and plasmin-like effects. In this study, the plant latex proteins Calotropis procera (CpLP), Cryptostegia grandiflora (CgLP) and Plumeria rubra (PrLP) were investigated in terms of these activities. For both samples were investigated for their fibrinogenolytic and fibrinolytic activity in human plasma and by incubation with human fibrinogen by measuring the clotting time, electrophoretic or spectrophotometric assays and diffusion in agarose gel. In vivo effect of CpLP on clot formation of plasma of healthy and septic mice that have been experimentally infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was also studied. Groups of five mice were treated with CpLP (30 mg/Kg), S. enterica (107 CFU/mL) or CpLP 24 h prior bacteria. After sacrificing animals, blood samples were examined for coagulation time, platelet content and protein profile. The protein fractions of C. procera exhibiting proteolytic activity were capable to hydrolyze fibrinogen similar to thrombin, while the protein fractions of Cr. grandiflora exhibiting proteolytic activity were capable to hydrolyze fibrinogen similar to plasmin. The samples exhibited fibrinogenolytic activity in a dose and time manner, but were not able to dissolve the fibrin clot. Procoagulant activity was eliminated by inhibition of latex proteases with cysteine proteinase inhibitor E-64. Pepstatin, PMSF and EDTA were not inhibitory. Time of clot formation of plasma in septic mice and platelet content were consistently reduced as compared to healthy animals. CpLP exhibited antagonistic effects. It statistically reversed the effects of sepsis on clot-time formation associated to preservation on platelet content. However, CpLP exhibited opposite effect on non-septic mice, inducing faster clot formation, compared to healthy animals but without changing platelet content. Results reported in this work confirm fibrinogenolytic activity associated to cysteine proteases of latex and show a very intriguing in vivo protective activity of CpLP on platelet content on septic animals with apparent benefit effect against disseminated vascular coagulation, a pivotal event associated to lethal sepsis. This effect was however not observed when CpLP was given to healthy animals.