Abstract
Modulation of coagulation has been successfully applied to ischemic disorders of the
central nervous system (CNS). Some components of the coagulation system have been
identified in the CNS, yet with limited exception their functions have not been clearly
defined. Little is known about how events within the cerebral tissues affect hemostasis.
Nonetheless, the interaction between cerebral cells and vascular hemostasis and the
possibility that endogenous coagulation factors can participate in functions within
the neurovascular unit provide intriguing possibilities for deeper insight into CNS
functions and the potential for treatment of CNS injuries. Here, we consider the expression
of coagulation factors in the CNS, the coagulopathy associated with focal cerebral
ischemia (and its relationship to hemorrhagic transformation), the use of recombinant
tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in ischemic stroke and its study in animal models,
the impact of rt-PA on neuron and CNS structure and function, and matrix protease
generation and matrix degradation and hemostasis. Interwoven among these topics is
evidence for interactions of coagulation factors with and within the CNS. How activation
of hemostasis occurs in the cerebral tissues and how the brain responds are difficult
questions that offer many research possibilities.
Keywords
coagulation factors - hemostasis - central nervous system - knockouts - neurovascular
unit