title: [Hirudin inhibition of human thrombin activity].
abstract: Thermodynamics and kinetics for hirudin binding to human alpha-, beta- and gamma-thrombin, under experimental conditions which mimic the in vivo conditions (i.e., pH = 7.35, T = 37.0 degrees C, I = 0.1 M), indicate that the inhibitor specificity for the three species of the enzyme is different. Such a finding agrees with the human thrombin:hirudin binding geometry as revealed by X-ray crystal studies. From the therapeutic viewpoint, thermodynamics and kinetics here reported indicate that the inhibitory activity of hirudin in vivo is more effective than that shown by antithrombin III, which is generally considered the most important plasma thrombin inhibitor.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, Università di Roma La Sapienza.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ascenzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolognesi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coletta
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menegatti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amiconi
mesh_terms: D006629:Hirudins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013917:Thrombin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006629:Hirudins; D013917:Thrombin
vernacular_title: Inibizione dell'attività della trombina umana da parte dell'irudina.