Coagulant activity of leukocytes. Tissue factor activity.

Peritoneal leukocytes harvested from rabbits which have received two spaced doses of endotoxin have significantly greater (10-fold) coagulant activity than leukocytes from control rabbits. The coagulant activity accelerates the clotting of normal plasma and activates factor X in the presence of factor VII and calcium and is therefore regarded as tissue factor. A total of 40-80 mg tissue factor activity was obtained from the peritoneal cavity of single endotoxin-treated rabbits. In leukocyte subcellular fractions, separated by centrifugation, the specific tissue factor activity sedimented mainly at 14,500 g and above. The procoagulant activity was destroyed after heating for 10 min at 65 degrees C but was preserved at lower temperatures. Polymyxin B, when given with the first dose of endotoxin, reduced both the number of peritoneal leukocytes and their tissue factor activity by two-thirds. When given immediately before the second dose of endotoxin, polymyxin B had no inhibitory effect.