[Study of anticoagulant activity of ethanol extracts from leech in vitro].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study the anticoagulant activity of different portions of leech ethanol extracts (LEEs). METHODS: Anticoagulant activity was determined by measuring prothrombin time(PT), thrombin time (TT), activated partial throboplstin time (APTT) and fibrinogen coagulation time (FCT). RESULTS: PT, TT, APTT and FCT were remarkably prolonged by ethyl acetate portion of LEEs. Portions of petroleum ethrer, n-butanol and water extracted from LEEs was much weaker on anticoagulant activity. CONCLUSION: The anticoagulant effect of ethyl acetate extract portion of LEEs is the strongest among the four portions, and this results may be from its inhibitory effect on thrombin-catalyzed fibrinogen hydrolysis.