Role of clot‐associated (‐derived) thrombin in cell proliferation induced by fibrin clots in vitro

Thrombin is a potent mitogenic agent. Clot-associated thrombin retains its amidolytic and pro-aggregant activity. We therefore studied the ability of fibrin clots to induce proliferation in CCL39 cells (Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts), in the absence and presence of the thrombin inhibitors PPACK, recombinant hirudin (rHV2 Lys47) and heparin:antithrombin III. Fibrin clots incubated for 48 h with CCL39 cells led to significant cell proliferation, which was dependent on the concentration of thrombin used to prepare the clots. Thus, clots prepared with 91 nmol l−1 thrombin produced a similar proliferation (231±21%) to that obtained with 50 nmol l−1 thrombin in solution (213±29%). Rabbit plasma clots led to a 499±41% increase in cell number under identical conditions. Fibrin clot-induced cell proliferation was inhibited by all three thrombin inhibitors with no difference in IC50 values compared to those obtained against thrombin in solution, suggesting that cell proliferation be due to thrombin leaching from the clots. We found a time-dependent increase in thrombin release from the clots attaining a plateau at 24 h (∼61% of the total thrombin used in clot formation). Clots separated from the cells using porous cell culture chamber inserts led to similar proliferation to that of clots in contact with the cells. Thus fibrin-clot induced CCL39 proliferation is due to thrombin released from the clots. British Journal of Pharmacology (2000) 129, 1021–1027; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0703137