Discovery and development of direct Xa inhibitors Xa was identified as a promising target for the development of new anticoagulants in the early 1980s. In 1987 the first factor Xa inhibitor, the naturally occurring compound antistasin, was isolated from the salivary glands of the Mexican leech "Haementeria officinalis". Antistasin is a polypeptide and a potent Xa inhibitor. In 1990 another naturally occurring Xa inhibitor was isolated, tick anticoagulant peptide (TAP) from extracts of the tick "Ornithodoros moubata". TAP and antistasin were used to estimate factor Xa as a drug target. Blood coagulation is a complex process by which the blood forms clots. It is an essential part
Salivary gland saliva. Problems with dentures are sometimes associated with minor salivary glands if there is dry mouth present (see further discussion). The minor salivary glands are innervated by the seventh cranial or facial nerve. Von Ebner's glands are glands found in a trough circling the circumvallate papillae on the dorsal surface of the tongue near the terminal sulcus. They secrete a purely serous fluid that begins lipid hydrolysis. They also facilitate the perception of taste through secretion of digestive enzymes and proteins. The arrangement of these glands around the circumvallate papillae provides a continuous flow of fluid over the great number