Inhibition of antithrombin III by lipid peroxides.

A study was made of the inhibition of antithrombin III (At III) activity by lipid peroxides prepared from autoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Lipid peroxides markedly reduced the thrombin neutralising activity of plasma and purified At III with or without albumin carrier. Heparin Sepharose chromatography and heparin cofactor assays suggested that the primary target of lipid peroxides on the At III molecule may be the heparin binding site. Results from electrophoretic studies suggested that interaction between lipid peroxides and At III increased the negative charge of the At III molecule; however, no aggregation of the At III molecule was observed. Lipid peroxidation is being increasingly recognised as a factor in the pathogenesis of several disease states, and it is possible that local inhibition of At III by lipid peroxides could contribute towards the development of a thrombotic event.