Prolonged bleeding from the bite of the Asian medicinal leech Hirudo nipponia

摘要: Selected antihaemostatic parameters associated with the bite of Asian medicinal leechHirudo nipponia were investigated in human volunteers. This study confirms earlier work onHirudo medicinalis, that wound from a leech bleeds for hours even though blood coagulates normally after about 15 min. The whole clotting time forH. 1 min was 12.88±3.15 min, comparable to but both cases returned control levels However, duration bleeding ofH. (mean=210 min) consistently shorter thanH. when adjusted size differences (mean=490 min). Similarly, flow rate fromH. (mean-39 μl/min) is markedly slower medicinalis (mean =200 μl/min). total lost host, therefore, approximately ten times more withH. nipponia. Collagen-induced platelet aggregation significantly impaired theH. 25 may indicate prolongation caused by inhibition rather than thrombin alone. In species, saliva contains potent antithrombin whose inhibitory activity returns normal cessation feeding. internal amino acid sequence inhibitor secreted byH. into unexpectedly different (55%) hirudin medicinalis. difference reflected lack neutralisation polyclonal antibody hurudin Blockage N-terminal appears be further real compared biological significance, if any, these between species and structure remains an open, intriguing, question.