Abstract
Substantial thrombomodulin activity could be detected in tissue thromboplastin preparations from placenta or from lung but not from brain. When the amount of these preparations was adjusted to contain 1 unit of tissue factor activity, up to 0.85 units of thrombomodulin activity could be measured, corresponding to the generation of 17 pmol/ml/min of activated protein C when 1.5 μM human protein C was activated by 20 nM human α-thrombin in the presence of 5 mM CaCl2. After treatment by phospholipase C, thrombomodulin activity was reduced in these samples. Addition of mixed brain procoagulant phospholipids partially restored thrombomodulin activity in the phospholipase C-treated samples. These results emphasize the role of phospholipids in the expression of optimal thrombomodulin activity in tissue thromboplastin preparations from placenta or from lung.