| kinins | <biochemistry> Inflammatory mediators that cause dilation of blood vessels and altered vascular permeability. Kinins are small peptides produced from kininogen by kallikrein and are broken down by kininases. Act on phospholipase and increase arachidonic acid release and thus prostaglandin (PGE2) production. See: bradykinin, kallidin, C2 kinin. (18 Nov 1997) |
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