Preparation of succinylthrombin and its effects in vivo on the coagulation system.

An innovative chemically modified thrombin, succinylthrombin, was prepared by the treatment of thrombin with succinic anhydride. Succinylthrombin showed a remarkable reduction of fibrinogen clotting activity with a reduction of the potency for protein C (PC) activation. However, the degree of the remaining potency for PC activation was greater than the degree of the remaining clotting activity. The potency for PC activation was enhanced by the addition of thrombomodulin and calcium ion. The degree of the enhancement was approximately 6-times greater than that of acetylthrombin, which we previously suggested as an effective anticoagulant. The infusion of succinylthrombin into rabbits induced a prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). The fibrinogen level was not affected even by the infusion of succinylthrombin of a dose which cause the prolongation of the APTT to the same extent as that following an infusion of thrombin. The factor Xa clotting time was also prolonged by the succinylthrombin without any significant drop in the number of the circulating platelet.