The coagulation cascade controls blood clot formation in response to blood vessel injury. Thrombin is an enzyme that plays a key role in regulating the coagulation cascade. A simplified model of thrombin’s role in regulating the coagulation cascade is represented in Figure 1.
Argatroban is a competitive inhibitor of thrombin. Which of the following effects on the coagulation cascade is most likely to result from inhibiting thrombin activity with argatroban?
answer choices
The activation of clotting factors will be blocked.
The rate of fibrin formation will decrease.
Thrombin will be converted to prothrombin.
The rate of blood clot formation will increase.