Ironically, while Vitamin K is well known for its role in helping blood to form clots, it is also very necessary to prevent clots from forming (Esmon et al, 1987: Lobato-Mendizabal & Ruiz-Arguelles, 1990; Grober, et al, 2015) .The anti-coagulant system is not triggered not is it resolved by vitamin K. The anti-coagulant system functions regardless of the presence of vitamin K, however, its effectiveness in preventing clots is improved with sufficient amounts of vitamin K. In this initiation phase, the blood comes in contact with a substance under the endothelial cells, called collagen, which activates circulating platelets and pro-coagulant proteins. You get vitamin K from a variety of foods in your diet. The calcium induces structural changes in the Gla domain which facilitate its interaction with the surface membrane of the cell (Freedman et al, 1996). Antithrombin binds coagulation factors, such as thrombin, which then form inert complexes, inactivating their clotting potential. It may also be referred to as an INR test (International Normalized Ratio), which was developed as a way to standardize the various testing methods for prothrombin, so as to produce results that could be compared.Acquired Factor VII deficiency is the most common reason for prolonged prothrombin time (clotting time). A vitamin k deficiency will cause bleeding, because vitamin k is needed to carboxylate several blood coagulation proteins. This review will cover the primary elements of these very complex systems, as they would take place in a healthy person. Platelets circulate in the blood in an inactive, resting form for an average of 10 days. Both of these systems depend on sufficient amounts of vitamin K being available. Platelets are tiny blood cells that help stop bleeding. A 39 year old male deliberately ingested a superwarfarin product. The GLA domains provide the critical link, localizing the clotting factors to the platelet surface (Magnusson et al, 1974). Endothelial cells also secrete PA1-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor) which helps convert plasminogen to plasmin, and creates resistance to clotting (Phillips et al, 1984). This net of fibers traps and holds platelets, blood cells, and other molecules tight to the site of injury, functioning as the initial fibrin clot. That is when the coagulation cascade begins. A naturally occurring anticoagulant protein produced in the liver and circulating through the body, is antithrombin (AT), which functions as a mild blood thinner. APC degrades clotting factors, limits coagulation and prevents clot formation in areas of undamaged endothelium.
Warfarin use, vitamin K deficiency, and liver disease are the main causes of acquired factor VII deficiency.An adequate balance between the pro-and anti-coagulant systems is a prerequisite for the prevention of bleeding and/or clotting (Esmon, 1989; Stenflo, 1948). The platelets undergo a morphological change by assuming an irregular surface, forming numerous pseudopods and drastically increasing their surface area (Andrews & Berndt, 2004). It’s charged with delivering nutrients and oxygen to every cell and on the return trip, it removes waste products from the lungs, kidneys, spleen, and liver. Together they form a complex that converts helps convert fibrinogen into fibrin.Factor VIII is an essential blood clotting protein, also known as anti-hemophilic factor (AHF).Factor XIII is an enzyme that crosslinks fibrin.
Vitamin K enables those clotting factors to clot the blood quickly (Askim, 2001; Bern, 2004; Theuwissen et al, 2012; Shearer & Newman, 2008).The precursor of prothrombin binds less than 1 mol of calcium per mole of protein. The result is a sturdy scab to protect the area as you heal (Hall, 2010). Another secretion is thromboxane, which causes platelets to change shape from spherical to stellate. While Vit K is needed for blood to clot, avoiding K doesn't reduce the risk of clots! They act as a co-factor for seven vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, because without vitamin K, your blood is unable to clot.