From the Japan NattoKinase Association - below is an excerpt - click on the link for the full article http://j-nattokinase.org/en/jnka_nattou_01.html
Efficacy of Natto and Nattokinase
Natto and Nattokinase
A traditional Japanese food “Natto” is a food made from soybeans fermented by Bacillus natto, and has been eaten since about 1,200 years ago. Enzymes that Bacillus natto produce by fermentation include protease and Dr. Oshima at Hokkaido Imperial University reported its purification and characteristics. Since then, it was investigated as a serine protease, and, in 1980s, the enzyme that degrades fibrin proteins (a cause of thrombi) was named as “Nattokinase”. Nattokinase is found in the sticky part of Natto.
Function of Nattokinase
Functions of Nattokinase include directly degrading a fibrin (the main component of thrombi), activating pro-urokinase (precursor for urokinase that is an thrombolytic enzyme in the body) and increasing the amount of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) that produces a thrombolytic enzyme, plasmin. In addition, recent research has revealed that Nattokinase has a function of degrading plasminogen activator inhibitor, PAI-1 and reducing the euglobulin lysis time, and therefore, it has a function of improving the thrombolytic activity. Furthermore, the reduction of blood pressure has also been confirmed.
Degradation of Thrombus by Nattokinase
The Role and Danger of Thrombus
A thrombus is a blood clot formed in blood mainly consisting of a protein called a fibrin, which is necessary for restoring the damaged blood vessel and stopping bleeding. Once bleeding stops and the damaged blood vessel is restored, thrombi are degraded. This phenomenon is called the fibrinolytic action. However, when there is an imbalance between the production of thrombus (coagulation) and its degradation (fibrinolysis), or the condition that thrombus are difficult to be degraded due to aging or stress, blood cots accumulate in blood vessels. These blood clots cause thrombosis such as cardiac infarction and cerebral infarction when they block the blood vessel of the heart and brain, respectively.
