Adenine nucleotide metabolism of blood platelets IX. Time course of secretion and changes in energy metabolism in thrombin-treated platelets

Changes in the energy metabolism of washed human platelets were compared with the kinetics of secretion induced by thrombin (5 units/ml). A 50% decrease in the level of metabolic ATP (³H-labelled), which was essentially complete in 30 s, was matched in rate by adenine nucleotide secretion from storage in dense granules. Incubation of platelets with antimycin before thrombin addition increased the rate of fall in metabolic ATP, but did not affect the rate of adenine nucleotide secretion. β-N-Acetylglucosaminidase secretion, which was slower than adenine nucleotide secretion in control platelets, was noticeably inhibited by antimycin, confirming previous reports that different regulatory mechanisms exist for dense and α-granule secretion. The rates of rephosphorylation of metabolic ADP to ATP via glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation were estimated by measuring lactate production and O₂ consumption in resting and thrombin-stimulated platelets and compared to the level of metabolic ATP (9–10 nmol/mg of platelet protein in the resting state). The rate of ATP production was stimulated at least two fold from 12 nmol to 24 nmol/min/mg within seconds of thrombin addition. This increased rate was maintained over the observed period of 5 min although the level of metabolic ATP had decreased to 4–5 nmol/mg within 30 s; the turnover of the remaining metabolic ATP thus increased four fold over the resting state although the actual stimulation of energy production was only two fold.     

Quantification of energy consumption in platelets during thrombin-induced aggregation and secretion. Tight coupling between platelet responses and the increment in energy consumption.

The involvement of metabolic energy in platelet responses was investigated by measuring the energy consumption during aggregation and secretion from dense, alpha- and acid-hydrolase-containing granules. Gel-filtered human platelets were stimulated with different amounts of thrombin (0.05-5.0 units X ml-1). At various stages during aggregation and secretion the energy consumption was measured from the changes in metabolic ATP and ADP following abrupt arrest of ATP resynthesis. Stimulation with 5 units of thrombin X ml-1 increased the energy consumption from 6.2 +/- 0.9 to 17.8 +/- 0.4 mumol of ATPeq. X min-1 X (10(11) platelets)-1 during the first 15 s. It decreased thereafter and returned to values found in resting cells after about 30 s. With 0.05 unit of thrombin X ml-1, the energy consumption accelerated more slowly and took at least 3 min before it normalized. A strong positive correlation was found between the velocities of the three secretion responses and the concurrent energy consumption (a) at different stages of the responses induced by a given dose of thrombin, and (b) at different secretion velocities initiated by different amounts of thrombin. When, at different stages of the responses, the extent of secretion was compared with the amount of energy that had been consumed, a strong linear correlation was found with the increment in energy consumption but not with the total energy consumption. This correlation was independent of the concentration of thrombin and indicated that complete secretion from dense, alpha- and acid-hydrolase-containing granules was paralleled by an increment of 4.0, 6.5 and 6.7 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1, respectively. An energy cost of 0.7 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1 was calculated for separate dense-granule secretion, whereas the combined alpha- and acid-hydrolase granule secretion required 5.3 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1. There was no correlation between energy consumption and optical aggregation. In contrast, the rate of single platelet disappearance, which is a measure for the early formation of small aggregates, correlated closely with the rate of energy consumption. Compared with secretion, however, the energy requirement of single platelet disappearance was minor, since 2mM-EDTA completely prevented this response but decreased the energy consumption only slightly. An increase of 0.5-1.0 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1 was seen before single platelet disappearance and the three secretion responses were initiated, indicating an increase in energy consuming processes that preceded these responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Metabolic aspects of the secretion of stored compounds from blood platelets. IV. Effects of ionophore X537A on washed platelets.

1. X537A at concentrations below 10 muM can liberate platelet serotonin from washed human platelets without inducing the platelet release reaction. Up to 100% of serotonin preabsorbed by the platelets can be liberated before initiation of the release reaction. 2. Concentrations of X537A above 10muM initiate the platelet release reaction, with a maximum release of adenine nucleotides and platelet factor 4 antigen comparable to that obtained with 1.25 units thrombin/ml. 3. The changes in ATP metabolism at the concentration necessary for X537A-induced release are more profound than those in platelets exposed to concentrations of thrombin or A23187 giving the same degree of release, and approach those seen with high concentrations of A23187. At concentrations where serotonin is liberated but no adenine nucleotide or platelet factor 4 antigen is released, short time incubation causes no change in the level of metabolic ATP.     

An improved method for the isolation of dense storage granules from human platelets

Pretreatment of human platelets with the metabolic inhibitors rotenone and 2-deoxyglucose, before French press homogenization, has led to the isolation of dense storage granules in an overall yield of about 20%. The concentrations of serotonin, ATP and ADP were estimated in the dense granules. Serotonin was 40--60-fold enriched in the dense granules compared to the platelet homogenate. Stored ATP and ADP were also 40-fold enriched in the dense granules compared to the estimated storage nucleotide pool in intact platelets. The ATP to ADP ratio in the isolated dense granules was 0.68-0.70, the same as the ratio of the secreted ATP and ADP. In platelets prelabeled with [3H]adenine, the specific radioactivities of the ATP and ADP in the isolated dense granules and of the secreted ATP and ADP were both negligible, whereas the estimated specific radioactivity of the metabolically active ATP and ADP was 2,000 cpm/nmol. These results confirm that the ATP and ADP in the isolated dense granules are the same as the secreted ATP and ADP in terms of metabolic inactivity and their ATP to ADP ratios.     

Stimulation of phosphate uptake in human platelets by thrombin and collagen. Changes in specific 32P labeling of metabolic ATP and polyphosphoinositides

The uptake of [32P]phosphate by human, gel-filtered blood platelets and its incorporation into cytoplasmic ATP and polyphosphoinositides was studied. In unstimulated platelets, uptake was Na+o-dependent and saturable at approximately 20 nmol/min/10(11) cells with a half-maximal rate at 0.5 mM extracellular phosphate. Upon stimulation with thrombin or collagen, net influx of [32P]Pi was accelerated 5- to 10-fold. With thrombin, [32P]Pi efflux was also increased. After the first 2 min, efflux exceeded influx, resulting in the net release of [32P]Pi from the platelets. Since the stimulus-induced burst in [32P]Pi uptake paralleled the secretory responses, it might be an integral part of stimulus-response coupling in platelets. The stimulus-induced burst in net [32P]Pi uptake led to an enhanced labeling of metabolic ATP, which was already detectable at 5 s after stimulation with thrombin. Concomitantly, the incorporation of [32P]Pi into phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate was accelerated. The thrombin-induced increase in specific 32P radioactivity of cytoplasmic ATP fully accounted for the simultaneous increase in specific 32P radioactivity of these phosphoinositides. In studying the extent of 32P labeling of phosphorylated compounds in response to a cellular stimulus, it is therefore essential to measure the effect of the stimulus on the specific radioactivity of cytoplasmic ATP.     

Copper deficiency alters protein kinase C mediation of thrombin-induced dense granule secretion from rat platelets

Experiments were conducted to determine if copper deficiency enhances the rate of thrombin-induced dense granule secretion by modifying the major signal transduction pathways of rat platelets. Platelets were obtained from male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats fed diets containing either deficient ( < 0.5 μg/g diet) or adequate (5.5 μg/g diet) copper for 5 weeks. Following stimulation with thrombin (0.1 U/mL), the rate of dense granule secretion as measured by ATP release was 160% higher in platelets from copper-deficient than from control rats. Inhibition of the rate of thrombin-induced ATP release by (6-aminohexyl)-1-naphthalene-sulfonamide, a calmodulin antagonist was independent of copper status. However, 1-(5-isoquinoline-sulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibited the rate of ATP release only in platelets from copper-deficient rats. Aspirin had no effect on ATP release from platelets obtained from either copper-deficient or control rats. This suggests that copper deficiency alters the role of protein kinase C in regulating dense granule secretion. Analysis of autoradiographs showing [³²P]-labeled platelet proteins indicated that the phosphorylation of a 40 kDa protein, a known substrate for protein kinase C in platelets, was significantly less following thrombin stimulation in platelets from copper-deficient than from control rats. When protein kinase C was activated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate prior to thrombin stimulation, ATP release was attenuated regardless of copper status. These findings suggest that protein kinase C can still function as a feedback inhibitor of platelet dense granule secretion in copper deficiency, but impaired activation of this enzyme following thrombin stimulation may prevent it from achieving full regulatory capacity.     

Relation between energy production and adenine nucleotide metabolism in human blood platelets

The relation between ATP production and adenine nucleotide metabolism was investigated in human platelets which were starved by incubation in glucose-free, CN^?-containing medium and subsequently incubated with different amounts of glucose. In the absence of mitochondrial energy production (blocked by CN^?) and glycogen catabolism (glycogen almost completely consumed during starvation), lactate production increased proportionally with increasing amounts of glucose. The generated ATP was almost completely consumed in the various ATP-consuming processes in the cell except for a fixed portion (about 7%) that was reserved for restoration of the adenylate energy charge. During the first 10 min after glucose addition, the adenine nucleotide pool remained constant. Thereafter, when the glycolytic flux, measured as lactate formation, was more than 3.5 μmol · min^?1 · 10^?11 cells, the pool increased slightly by resynthesis from hypoxanthine-inosine and then stabilized; at a lower flux the pool decreased and metabolic ATP and energy charge declined to values found during starvation. Between moments of rising and falling adenylate energy charges, periods of about 10 min remained in which the charge was constant and ATP supply and demand had reached equilibrium. This enabled comparison between the adenylate energy charge and ATP regeneration velocity. A linear relation was obtained for charge values between 0.4 and 0.85 and ATP regeneration rates between 0.6 and 3.5 ATP equiv. · min^?1 · 10^?11 cells. These data indicate that in starved platelets ATP regeneration velocity and energy charge are independent and that each appears to be subject to the availability of extracellular substrate.     

Adenine nucleotide metabolism in isolated chicken hepatocytes.

The turnover of the adenine nucleotide pool, the pathway of the degradation of AMP and the occurrence of recycling of adenosine were investigated in isolated chicken hepatocytes, in which the adenylates had been labelled by prior incubation with [14C]adenine. Under physiological conditions, 85% of the IMP synthesized by the 'de novo' pathway (approx. 37 nmol/min per g of cells) was catabolized directly via inosine into uric acid, and 14% was converted into adenine nucleotides. The latter were found to turn over at the rate of approx. 5 nmol/min per g of tissue. Inhibition of adenosine deaminase by 1 microM-coformycin had no effect on the formation of labelled uric acid, indicating that the initial degradation of AMP proceeds by way of deamination rather than dephosphorylation. Inhibition of adenosine kinase by 100 microM-5-iodotubercidin resulted in a loss of labelled ATP, demonstrating that adenosine is normally formed from AMP but is recycled. Unexpectedly, 5-iodotubercidin did not decrease the total concentration of ATP, indicating that the loss of adenylates caused by inhibition of adenosine kinase was nearly completely compensated by formation of AMP de novo. Anoxia induced a greatly increased catabolism of the adenine nucleotide pool, which proceeded in part by dephosphorylation of AMP. On reoxygenation, the formation of AMP de novo was increased 8-fold as compared with normoxic conditions. The latter results indicate the existence of adaptive mechanisms in chick liver allowing, when required, channelling of the metabolic flux through the 'de novo' pathway, away from the uricotelic catabolic route, into the synthesis of adenine nucleotides.     

Changes in cardiac nucleotide metabolism in Huntington's disease

ABSTRACT

Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder with a significant peripheral component to the disease pathology. This includes an HD-related cardiomyopathy, with an unknown pathological mechanism. In this study, we aimed to define changes in the metabolism of cardiac nucleotides using the well-established R6/2 mouse model. In particular, we focused on measuring the activity of enzymes that control ATP and other adenine nucleotides in the cardiac pool, including eNTPD, AMPD, e5′NT, ADA, and PNP. We employed HPLC to assay the activities of these enzymes by measuring the concentrations of adenine nucleotide catabolites in the hearts of symptomatic R6/2 mice. We found a reduced activity of AMPD (12.9 ± 1.9 nmol/min/mg protein in control; 7.5 ± 0.5 nmol/min/mg protein in R6/2) and e5′NT (11.9 ± 1.7 nmol/min/mg protein in control; 6.7 ± 0.7 nmol/min/mg protein in R6/2). Moreover, we detected an increased activity of ADA (1.3 ± 0.2 nmol/min/mg protein in control; 5.2 ± 0.5 nmol/min/mg protein in R6/2), while no changes in eNTPD and PNP activities were observed. Analysis of cardiac adenine nucleotide catabolite levels revealed an increased inosine level (0.7 ± 0.01 nmol/mg dry tissue in control; 2.7 ±0.8 nmol/mg dry tissue in R6/2) and a reduced concentration of cardiac adenosine (0.9 ± 0.2 nmol/mg dry tissue in control; 0.2 ± 0.08 nmol/mg dry tissue in R6/2). This study highlights a decreased rate of degradation of cardiac nucleotides in HD mouse model hearts, and an increased capacity for adenosine deamination, that may alter adenosine signaling.     

Effects of antimycin and 2-deoxyglucose on adenine nucleotides in human platelets. Role of metabolic adenosine triphosphate in primary aggregation, secondary aggregation and shape change of platelets

1. Human platelet-rich plasma prelabelled with [(3)H]adenine was incubated at 37 degrees C with antimycin A and 2-deoxy-d-glucose. Variations in the amounts of ATP, ADP and P(i), and in the radioactivity of ATP, ADP, AMP, IMP, hypoxanthine+inosine and adenine were determined during incubation. Adrenaline- and ADP-induced platelet aggregation and the ADP-induced shape change of the platelets were determined concurrently. 2. 2-Deoxyglucose caused conversion of [(3)H]ATP to [(3)H]hypoxanthine+inosine. The rate of this conversion increased with increasing 2-deoxyglucose concentration and was markedly stimulated by addition of antimycin, which had no effect alone. At maximal ATP-hypoxanthine conversion rates, the IMP radioactivity remained at values tenfold higher than control, whereas [(3)H]ADP and [(3)H]AMP radioactivity gave variations typical for product/substrates in consecutive reactions. The specific radioactivityof ethanol-soluble platelet ATP decreased during incubation to less than one-tenth of its original value. The amounts and radioactivity of ethanol-insoluble ADP did not vary during incubation with the metabolic inhibitors. 3. The rate of ADP- and adrenaline-induced primary aggregation decreased as the amount of radioactive ATP declined, and complete inhibition of aggregation was obtained at a certain ATP concentration (metabolic ATP threshold). This threshold decreased with increasing concentration of inducer ADP. 4. Secondary platelet aggregation (release reaction) had a metabolic ATP threshold markedly higher than that of primary aggregation. 5. Shape change was gradually inhibited as the ATP radioactivity decreased, and had a metabolic ATP threshold distinctly lower than that of primary aggregation, and which decreased with increasing concentration of ADP. 6. A small but distinct fraction of [(3)H]ATP disappeared rapidly during the combined shape change-aggregation process induced by ADP in platelets incubated with metabolic inhibitors, whereas no ATP disappearance occurred during aggregation in their absence.     

Peroxynitrite can affect platelet responses by inhibiting energy production

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) strongly inhibits agonist-induced platelet responses. However, the mechanisms involved are not completely defined. Using porcine platelets, we tested the hypothesis that ONOO- reduces platelet aggregation and dense granule secretion by inhibiting energy production. It was found that ONOO- (25-300 microM) inhibited collagen-induced dense granule secretion (IC50 = 55 +/- 7 microM) more strongly than aggregation (IC(50) = 124 +/- 16 microM). The antiaggregatory and antisecretory effects of ONOO- were only slightly (5-10%) reduced by 1H-[1,2,4]-oxadiazolo-[4,3-alpha]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase. In resting platelets ONOO- (50-300 microM) enhanced glycolysis rate and reduced oxygen consumption, in a dose dependent manner. The ONOO- effects on glycolysis rate and oxygen consumption were not abolished by ODQ. The extent of glycolysis stimulation exerted by ONOO- was similar to that produced by respiratory chain inhibitors (cyanide and antimycin A) or an uncoupler (2,4-dinitrophenol). Stimulation of platelets by collagen was associated with a rise in mitochondrial oxygen consumption, accelerated lactate production, and unchanged intracellular ATP content. In contrast to resting cells, in collagen-stimulated platelets, ONOO- (200 microM) distinctly decreased the cellular ATP content. The glycolytic activity and oxygen consumption of resting platelets were not affected by 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. Blocking of the mitochondrial ATP production by antimycin A slightly reduced collagen-induced aggregation and strongly inhibited dense granule secretion. Treatment of platelets with ONOO- (50-300 microM) resulted in decreased activities of NADH : ubiquinone oxidoreductase, succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase. It is concluded that the inhibitory effect of ONOO- on platelet secretion and to a lesser extent on aggregation may be mediated, at least in part, by the reduction of mitochondrial energy production.     

A novel technique for rapid determination of energy consumption in platelets. Demonstration of different energy consumption associated with three secretory responses

A novel method has been developed for rapid and quantitative determination of the rate of energy consumption in platelets. In platelets suspended in a cyanide-containing medium. ATP resynthesis is abruptly blocked by addition of 2-deoxyglucose and D-glucono-1,5-lactone. We demonstrate that the subsequent changes in the levels of cytoplasmic ATP and ADP reflect the velocity of energy consumption in the platelets immediately before addition of the inhibitors. Despite the arrest in ATP resynthesis the platelets remain responsive to stimulation by thrombin (5 units x ml-1) which triggers the secretion of the contents of dense, alpha- and acid hydrolase granules. Unstimulated platelets were found to consume about 3.5 and 0.5 mumol of ATP equivalents x min-1 x (10(11) cells)-1 at 37 degrees C and 15 degrees C, respectively; the thrombin-treated platelets consumed respectively 16 and 2 mumol of ATP equivalents x min-1 x (10(11) cells)-1 at these temperatures. When the velocity of energy consumption was varied by (a) changing the temperature and (b) preincubation with glyco(geno)lytic inhibitors, it was found to be linearly related to the initial rate of secretion from the three types of granules. The precise nature of this relationship differed between the three types of secretion responses and indicated an increasing requirement for metabolic energy for secretion from the three types of granules in the order: dense granule less than alpha-granule less than acid hydrolase granule. The results obtained with changes in temperature were superimposable on those obtained with the glyco(geno)lytic inhibitors for dense granule secretion and alpha-granule secretion, suggesting an apparent coupling between energy consumption and the rate of these secretion responses. The rate of secretion of acid hydrolase was always higher when energy consumption was varied by temperature changes than when glyco(geno)lytic inhibitors were used, probably as a result of metabolic changes prior to induction of secretion. On the basis of these experiments, we calculated an incremental energy consumption during complete secretion of dense, alpha- and acid hydrolase granule contents of 2.5, 4.2 and 6.7 mumol of ATP equivalents x (10(11) platelets)-1, respectively.     

Reversible effects of glycerol on the metabolism of platelets kept at room temperature

The effects of the addition and removal of glycerol on the metabolic activities of human platelets were studied. Platelet concentrates (PC) with 20 ml plasma were stored with 3-7% (v/w) glycerol in 150-ml polyvinylchloride plastic bags for 2 days at 22 degrees C with constant agitation. Incubation of glycerol with platelets produced a dose-dependent inhibition of oxygen consumption. The inhibitions of glucose utilization and lactate production had reached the plateau level at 3% glycerol. The rate of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation of control platelets was 9.8 nmol/min/10(9) platelets, in which over 90% ATP generation was derived from oxidative phosphorylation. There was a dose-dependent decrease (up to 20%) by glycerol in the rate of platelet ATP generation. Glycerol inhibited glycolysis more than oxidative phosphorylation. However, the inhibition potency diminished with increasing concentrations of glycerol. The energy metabolism of platelets after removal of 5% glycerol was examined. Deglycerolized platelets after 1 hr incubation facilitated energy metabolism more strongly than that of 24 hr incubation. The platelet aggregation response to collagen was not impaired by a cycle of the addition and removal of glycerol. The results indicate that glycerol lowered the rate of ATP generation of platelets stored at 22 degrees C. However, the removal of glycerol reversed the decreased energy metabolism.     

Secretion, subcellular localization and metabolic status of inorganic pyrophosphate in human platelets. A major constituent of the amine-storing granules.

The platelet content of PPi is 1.90 +/- mumol/10(11) platelets (S.E.M., n = 19) or about 10.5 nmol/mg of protein, several hundred times that found for rat liver. Some 80% of this PPi is secreted by platelets treated with thrombin with a time course and dose-response relationship similar to secretion of ATP, ADP and 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) from the platelet dense granules. During platelet aggregation induced by ADP and adrenaline, substantial amounts of PPi were secreted, but no release of acid hydrolases was observed. Subcellular-fractionation studies showed that the PPi is highly enriched in the same fraction that contains the storage organelles which store ATP, ADP, Ca2+ and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Inorganic pyrophosphatase was present mainly in the soluble fraction and in the mitochondria. Secretion studies done with platelets prelabelled with [32P]Pi showed that the sequestered PPi was relatively metabolically inactive, as is the ATP and ADP in the storage organelles. The possible participation of PPi in the formation of a bivalent-cation-nucleotide complex associated with amine storage is discussed.     

Relationship of adenosine-3', 5'-monophosphate to other adenine nucleotides in human platelets

Labeled cyclic AMP and other adenine nucleotides in human platelets were distinctly separated by means of thin-layer chromatography. In lysates of human platelets, ATP was decomposed following the major route: ATP→ADP→AMP→IMP→inosine→hypoxanthine. In contrast, cyclic AMP synthesis occurred rapidly following the breakdown of ATP and leveled off after 30–60 min of incubation. Cyclic AMP synthesis in platelet lysates was 1.02 ± 0.39 nanomoles/hr/mg protein. The level of cyclic AMP formed was related to the 5′-AMP level, although the former did not exceed 5 % of the latter.     

Effect of adenine nucleotide pool size in mitochondria on intramitochondrial ATP levels.

Net adenine nucleotide transport into and out of the mitochondrial matrix via the ATP-Mg/Pi carrier is activated by micromolar calcium concentrations in rat liver mitochondria. The purpose of this study was to induce net adenine nucleotide transport by varying the substrate supply and/or extramitochondrial ATP consumption in order to evaluate the effect of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide pool size on intramitochondrial adenine nucleotide patterns under phosphorylating conditions. Above 12 nmol/mg protein, intramitochondrial ATP/ADP increased with an increase in the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide pool. The relationship between the rate of respiration and the mitochondrial ADP concentration did not depend on the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide pool size up to 9 nmol ADP/mg mitochondrial protein. The results are compatible with the notion that net uptake of adenine nucleotides at low energy states supports intramitochondrial ATP consuming processes and energized mitochondria may lose adenine nucleotides. The decrease of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide content below 9 nmol/mg protein inhibits oxidative phosphorylation. In particular, this could be the case within the postischemic phase which is characterized by low cytosolic adenine nucleotide concentrations and energized mitochondria.     

Stimulus-secretion coupling in platelets. Effects of drugs on secretion on adenosine 5'-triphosphate.

The mechanism of stimulus-secretion coupling in platelets was investigated by observing the effects of drugs on the kinetics on ATP secretion induced by either thrombin or the divalent cation ionophore A23187. The actual secretion is the same with either of these agents, since the rate constants and activation energies of secretion are the same and since drugs that affect the final, enzyme-independent steps of thrombin-induced secretion have the same effect on ionophore-induced secretion. Drugs that affect early steps of thrombin-induced secretion have no effect on ionophore-induced secretion. Drugs that act through cAMP (PGE1, theophylline, dibutyryl-cAMP) slow an early step in the mechanism of thrombin-induced secretion and completely block at higher levels, with the required concentration of inhibitor dependent on thrombin concentration. The inhibition of rate appears to be all-or-none, with no intermediate rates observed. By replacing thrombin with trypsin, which makes it possible to observe a complete change in rate-determining step from an enzyme-dependent to an enzyme-independent platelet step, it was found that these drugs slow the rate only when the enzyme-independent step is rate determining. These drugs have no effect on A23187-induced secretion. It was concluded that cAMP inhibits at a step after the enzyme step but before the final step by interfering with transmission of the stimulus-secretion coupling signal. Disruption of microfilament function by cytochalasin B (10 muM) accelerates the rate of secretion induced by either thrombin or ionophore. The microtubule agents colchicine, vinblastine, and vincristine had effects only at concentrations above those usually considered necessary for the specific inhibition of microtubule function. Drugs that inhibit prostaglandin synthesis (aspirin, indomethacin, eicosatetraynoic acid), drugs that block ATP production (antimycin A, deoxyglucose), or several other drugs previously reported to inhibit platelet function had no effect on secretion.     

Differential effects of chlorpromazine on secretion, protein phosphorylation and phosphoinositide metabolism in stimulated platelets.

Increasing concentrations of chlorpromazine (30-500 microM) caused a progressive lysis of gel-filtered platelets, as monitored by the extracellular appearance of cytoplasmic ([14C]adenine-labelled) adenine nucleotides. The chlorpromazine-induced lysis was markedly enhanced by thrombin and phorbol ester, and complete cytolysis was found at chlorpromazine concentrations of 100 microM and above in the presence of thrombin. At non-lytic concentrations, chlorpromazine caused a dramatic increase in the thrombin- or phorbol ester-mediated incorporation of 32P into phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and, to a lesser extent, into phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in platelets pulse-labelled with [32P]Pi. Chlorpromazine alone also caused an incorporation of 32P into the phosphoinositides. Non-lytic concentrations of chlorpromazine had no effect on the phosphorylation of the 47 kDa protein (regarded as the substrate for protein kinase C), but markedly inhibited the accompanying secretion of ATP + ADP and beta-hexosaminidase when platelets were incubated with 0.17 microM-phorbol ester or 0.1-0.2 unit of thrombin/ml. At lower concentrations of thrombin, chlorpromazine did not inhibit, but slightly enhanced, secretion. A protein of 82 kDa was phosphorylated during the interaction of platelets with thrombin and phorbol ester, and this phosphorylation was enhanced by chlorpromazine (non-lytic). These results suggest that the previously reported inhibition of protein kinase C by chlorpromazine is probably non-specific and due to cytolysis. However, since non-lytic concentrations of chlorpromazine inhibit secretion, but not protein kinase C, in platelets, activation of protein kinase C is not involved in the stimulation-secretion coupling, or chlorpromazine acts at a step after kinase activation. Possible mechanisms of this inhibition by chlorpromazine are discussed in the light of its effect on phosphoinositide metabolism and protein phosphorylation.     

Effects of 2-tetradecylglycidic acid on rat platelet energy metabolism and aggregation.

We investigated the role of energy supplied by long-chain fatty acid oxidation in rat platelet function. Inhibition of the mitochondrial uptake of long-chain fatty acids was achieved by treating rats with 2-tetradecylglycidic acid (TDGA), a potent inhibitor of the overt form of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-I). The maximum aggregation rate (MAR), CPT-I activity, lactate production, oxygen consumption and adenine nucleotide content of isolated rat platelets were then studied in vitro. 4 h after the in vivo administration of TDGA, the CPT-I activity in saponin-permeabilized platelets was nearly completely inhibited along with a significant reduction in the MAR induced by ADP, thrombin and ionophore A23187. The ATP level, adenylate energy charge (ATP + 1/2 ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP) and ATP/ADP ratio in the platelet cytoplasmic pool were also reduced. Platelets from TDGA-treated rats showed lower oxygen consumption rates in both the basal respiratory and oxygen burst states. These results indicate that mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid oxidation coupled to oxidative phosphorylation is an important energy source in rat platelets and is probably involved in the maintenance of platelet function. Enhanced in vitro lactate production in platelets from TDGA-treated rats may have resulted from a compensatory increase in glycolysis which only partly compensated for impaired long-chain fatty acid oxidation.