Expression of the thrombin receptor in developing bone and associated tissues

Abstract

Thrombin, a serine protease with a central role in thrombosis and hemostasis, is also a specific agonist for a variety of cellular responses in osteoblasts and stimulates bone resorption in organ culture. Cultured osteoblast-like cells express the proteolytically activated thrombin receptor, but the significance of this finding in vivo remains unknown. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the normal tissue distribution of the proteolytically activated thrombin receptor in developing rat bones and associated tissues. In hind limbs, the receptor was first observed on embryonic day 16 and became more abundant within the limb as gestation progressed. Thrombin receptor staining was detect..