title: Identification of a nitric oxide-dependent hypotensive effect of anticoagulation factor II from the venom of Agkistrodon acutus.
abstract: Anticoagulation factor II (ACF II) isolated from the venom of Agkistrodon acutus is a member of the coagulation factor IX/coagulation factor X-binding protein (IX/X-bp) family. ACF II forms a 1:1 complex with activated coagulation factor X in a Ca(2+)-dependent fashion and thereby blocks the amplification of the coagulation cascade. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of ACF II on the mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and heart rate (HR) in anaesthetized rats. The results indicate that ACF II induces a dose-dependent response in rats with a short fast drop of MABP followed by an increase and then a longer lasting slight decrease in MABP, but does not obviously affect HR. ACF II-induced hypotension is significantly blocked by the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor N-omega-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). ACF II produces a concentration-dependent relaxation of rat aortic rings with functional-endothelium. The ACF II-induced vasodilatation is completely inhibited by removal of endothelium and significantly inhibited by pretreatment with L-NAME. These observations demonstrate that ACF II induces hypotension through an endothelium-dependent vasodilation, which is strongly mediated by the release of NO from endothelium. ACF II exhibits high anticoagulation activity in vivo based on activated partial thromboplastin time assay. Therefore, ACF II is so far identified as the first unique bifunctional protein in the IX/X-bp family that has both anticoagulant and hypotensive effects on the blood of rats through different pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, PR China.
authors.forename: Dengke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Liyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D017836:Agkistrodon; D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D003435:Crotalid Venoms; C432745:anticoagulation factor II, Agkistrodon acutus; D009569:Nitric Oxide