Abstract
Summary
1. On the basis of heat stability studies, the clotting properties of brain tissue extracts are due to 2 components: a) a throm-bokinase, which has the ability to convert prothrombin directly to thrombin, and b) a thromboplastin, which is an accessory factor and must react first with another plasma factor, such as proconvertin, before it is capable of converting prothrombin to thrombin. 2. The indirect effect of thromboplastin must be distinguished from the direct action of thrombokinase on prothrombin if the mode of action of so-called “thromboplastin” brain tissue extracts is to be understood.
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