Platelet-aggregating activities of metastasizing tumor cells. III. Platelet aggregation as resulting from thrombin generation by tumor cells.

Thrombin generated in the process of platelet aggregation induced by three metastasizing murine tumors was measured using a chromogenic substrate specific for thrombin. Addition of B16 cells or 3LL cells to the platelet-rich plasma induced the generation of a significant amount of thrombin during the lag period preceding aggregation, while that of MH134 cells did not. Thrombin generation was observed in both the presence and the absence of platelets, indicating that platelets are not necessarily required for thrombin generation by these tumor cells. This suggests that the adherence of platelets to tumor cells is not an essential step for the initiation of thrombin-mediated aggregation induced by B16 and 3LL cells. Furthermore, the results of a one-stage clotting assay using plasma deficient in coagulation factors indicated that B16 and 3LL cells generated thrombin through direct activation of factor X.