Role of thrombin in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is an arterial disease associated with inflammation. Thrombin is a procoagulant and proinflammatory serine protease that contributes to the pathology of atherosclerosis by enhancing the expression of cell adhesion molecules, inducing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, activating inflammatory responses in atherosclerotic plaques, stimulating proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells, and exacerbating vascular lesions at sites of injury. Hence, thrombin appears to be an important target for treatment of atherosclerosis and thrombin pharmacological inhibitors have significant therapeutic potency for suppressing inflammatory responses in cardiovascular diseases.