REVIEW: Receptors of the PAR Family as a Link between Blood Coagulation and Inflammation

T. N. Dugina, E. V. Kiseleva, I. V. Chistov, B. A. Umarova, and S. M. Strukova^*

Department of Human and Animal Physiology, School of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119899 Russia; E-mail: strukova@mail.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received June 11, 2001; Revision received September 11, 2001

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Blood coagulation plays a key role among numerous mediating systems that are activated in inflammation. Receptors of the PAR family serve as sensors of serine proteinases of the blood clotting system in the target cells involved in inflammation. Activation of PAR-1 by thrombin and of PAR-2 by factor Xa leads to a rapid expression and exposure on the membrane of endothelial cells of both adhesive proteins that mediate an acute inflammatory reaction and of the tissue factor that initiates the blood coagulation cascade. Certain other receptors (EPR-1, thrombomodulin, etc.), which can modulate responses of the cells activated by proteinases through PAR receptors, are also involved in the association of coagulation and inflammation together with the receptors of the PAR family. The presence of PAR receptors on mast cells is responsible for their reactivity to thrombin and factor Xa and defines their contribution to the association of inflammation and blood clotting processes.

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KEY WORDS: protease-activated receptor, thrombin, factor Xa, endothelial cells, mast cells, inflammation, blood clotting

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