thromboxane

[ throm-bok-seyn ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a compound, C 20 H 32 O 5 , formed in blood platelets, that constricts blood vessels and promotes clotting.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thromboxane¹

1935–40; thromb- ( def ) + ox- + -ane

Example Sentences

Activated platelets produce a compound called thromboxane, which causes them to become sticky and recruits neighboring platelets to form a mesh, which ultimately becomes a blood clot.

From US News

Aspirin blocks an enzyme within platelets that makes thromboxane.

From US News

NSAIDs reduce pain and inflammation by preventing the production of prostaglandins and thromboxane, chemical compounds that cause blood vessels to constrict.

From Scientific American

Prostaglandins and thromboxane are synthesized from a fatty substance in the brain and muscle tissue that is involved in cellular repair.

From Scientific American

Antiplatelets such as aspirin, dipyridamole, ticlopidine and clopidogrel prevent clotting by blocking thromboxane, a chemical that rounds up clotting cells in the blood.

From US News