The effect of fatty-acid autoxidation products on blood coagulation.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids were allowed to autoxidise in air over 4 days. The water soluble oxidation products were extracted at daily intervals and tested for their effect on blood coagulation. After 1 day there was slight acceleration of the recalcification and RVV times, but from 2-4 days the extracts became increasingly inhibitory. The P.T. and P.T.T. were also inhibited. In the thrombin generation test the extracts delayed the appearance of thrombin, but the peak thrombin level was increased and its rate of decay was reduced. When added to phospholipid the extracts altered their coagulant activity. The presence of autoxidation products could account for some of the variable results obtained with different preparations of phospholipids.