Platelet deposition onto fibrin-coated surfaces under flow conditions

Platelet deposition on fibrin-coated surfaces and release from these adherent platelets were studied in an in vitro flow system. When a mixed suspension of washed platelets and red cells flowed through a fibrin-coated glass tube, only platelets were deposited onto the fibrin-coated surfaces. The density of adhered platelets increased with flow time and decreased with distance from the tube inlet. The adhesion rate increased with increasing shear rates from 45 s-1 to 180 s-1. This adhesion process appears to fit a diffusion-limited mathematical model. Comparing with glass and other protein-coated surfaces such as collagen, fibrinogen, or albumin coated surfaces, the number of adhered platelet per unit area decreased in the following descending order: collagen, fibrin, fibrinogen, glass, albumin. On the other hand, the degree of release reaction from these platelets decreased by another order: collagen, glass, fibrinogen, fibrin. We observed little release from platelets that were in contact with a fibrin-coated surface. Our results suggest that platelets specifically adhere to fibrin-coated surface and that this interaction does not induce platelet release.     

Fibrin but not adsorbed fibrinogen supports fibronectin assembly by spread platelets. Effects of the interaction of alphaIIb beta3 with the C terminus of the fibrinogen gamma-chain

We investigated the assembly of soluble fibronectin by lysophosphatidic acid-activated platelets adherent to fibrinogen or fibrin. More fibronectin was assembled by activated platelets spread on fibrin matrices than by platelets spread on adsorbed fibrinogen. The difference between platelets adherent to fibrinogen and fibrin occurred under both static and flow conditions. Similar differences were seen in binding of the 70-kDa N-terminal fragment of fibronectin that recognizes fibronectin assembly sites on adherent cells. Antibody and peptide blocking studies demonstrated that alphaIIb beta3 integrin mediates platelet adhesion to fibrinogen, whereas both alphav beta3 and alphaIIb beta3 mediate platelet adhesion to fibrin. The hypothesis that engagement of the C-terminal QAGDV sequence of the fibrinogen gamma-chain by alphaIIb beta3 inhibits the ability of the platelet to assemble fibronectin was tested by several experiments. Activated platelets adherent to adsorbed mutant fibrinogen lacking the QAGDV sequence (gammadelta5FG) were assembly-competent, as were platelets adherent to adsorbed normal fibrinogen that had been pretreated with the 7E9 antibody to the C terminus of the gamma-chain. Moreover, adsorbed normal fibrinogen but not gammadelta5FG suppressed the ability of co-adsorbed fibronectin to direct assembly of soluble fibronectin by spread platelets. The suppressive effect was lost when a surface of co-adsorbed fibronectin and fibrinogen was pretreated with 7E9. These results support a model in which the engagement of alphaIIb beta3 by the C-terminal sequence of the fibrinogen gamma-chain initiates signals that suppress subsequent fibronectin assembly by spread platelets. This interaction is less dominant when platelets adhere to fibrin, resulting in enhanced fibronectin assembly.     

The behavior of platelets at foreign surfaces

Many conditions affect the interaction of platelets with foreign surfaces, including the type of surface, modifications of the surface, conditions of blood flow, the adsorbed layer of plasma proteins, changes in this protein layer with time, and the animal species in which experiments are done. Platelets probably never adhere directly to a foreign surface in vivo, because upon exposure of the surface to blood, plasma proteins, principally fibrinogen, are adsorbed almost immediately. When platelets adhere to such a surface and spread on it, they are activated in much the same way as when they are exposed to a strong aggregating and release-inducing agent, but in contrast to aggregation caused by some agonists, adhesion is not dependent on the formation of TXA2 or the release of ADP. It does appear to depend on external Ca2+. Much less is known about the initial adhesion reaction than about platelet aggregation (thrombus formation) on the adherent platelets, although the morphological changes resulting from adhesion have been described. It is surmised that the metabolic and cytoskeletal changes upon adhesion are similar to those that are involved in the response of platelets to other activating agents. The consequences of adhesion include the formation of thrombi and thromboemboli, thrombocytopenia, reduced platelet survival, reduced platelet function in response to hemostatic stimuli, and the appearance in the circulation of products released or formed by activated platelets. Many efforts are being made to develop surfaces and to set up conditions that will minimize platelet adhesion, but it has not yet been possible to find a foreign surface that has and can maintain the nonthrombogenic characteristics of the normal endothelium.     

The membrane glycoprotein Ia-IIa (VLA-2) complex mediates the Mg++- dependent adhesion of platelets to collagen

We have purified the platelet membrane glycoprotein Ia-IIa complex by detergent solubilization and sequential affinity chromatography on Concanavalin A-Sepharose and collagen-Sepharose. The complex, which is identical to the VLA-2 complex of lymphocytes and other cells and contains subunits of 160 and 130 kD on SDS-PAGE, was labeled with 125I and incorporated into phosphatidyl choline liposomes. The liposomes, like intact platelets, adhered to collagenous substrates in an Mg++-dependent manner with a K'a(Mg++) of 3.5 mM. Little adhesion of the liposomes to collagen occurred when Mg++ was replaced by Ca++ or EDTA. Calcium ions inhibited the Mg++-dependent adhesion with a K'i(Ca++) of 5.5 mM. Liposomes containing the Ia-IIa complex adhered to substrates composed of types I, II, III, and IV collagen, but did not effectively adhere to substrates composed of type V collagen or gelatin. Adhesion to collagen was specific. The liposomes did not adhere to fibronectin, vitronectin, laminin, thrombospondin, fibrinogen, or von Willebrand factor substrates. The monoclonal antibody P1H5, which specifically immunoprecipitated the Ia-IIa complex, also specifically inhibited the Mg++-dependent adhesion of both platelets and Ia-IIa-containing liposomes to collagen substrates. These findings provide additional evidence that the platelet membrane Ia-IIa complex is the mediator of Mg++-dependent platelet adhesion to collagen and suggest that the VLA-2 complex may also function as an Mg++-dependent collagen receptor in other cells.     

Localization of fibrinogen during ADP- or thrombin-induced aggregation of washed rabbit platelets

In contrast to human platelets, which aggregate poorly in response to ADP unless fibrinogen is present in the external medium, washed rabbit platelets form large aggregates in response to ADP without fibrinogen in the suspending medium. Addition of fibrinogen to the suspending medium of rabbit platelets frequently has little or no effect on the extent of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. We examined washed rabbit platelets by immunocytochemistry during ADP-induced aggregation and deaggregation and during thrombin-induced aggregation when the external medium did not contain added fibrinogen to determine if (a) fibrinogen was expressed on the surface of rabbit platelets that could support aggregation when the platelets were stimulated, or (b) fibrinogen secreted from the alpha granules supports platelet aggregation. Glutaraldehyde-fixed samples were prepared at different times after addition of ADP or thrombin, embedded in Lowicryl K4M, sectioned, incubated with sheep anti-rabbit fibrinogen, washed, reacted with gold-labeled anti-sheep IgG, and prepared for electron microscopy. The alpha granules of rabbit platelets were heavily labeled with immunogold; the platelet membrane was not labeled. During platelet aggregation and deaggregation in response to ADP, fibrinogen was not detectable on the platelet surface. In response to thrombin, large aggregates formed before fibrinogen was secreted from the alpha granules; fibrinogen was detectable focally at sites of granule discharge by 30-60 sec and fibrin formed by 3 min. Therefore, stimulated washed rabbit platelets can adhere to each other without large amounts of fibrinogen taking part in the close platelet-to-platelet contact, since aggregation occurs before detectable secretion, and large areas where the platelets are in contact are devoid of fibrinogen between the adherent membranes. Adhesion mechanisms not involving fibrinogen may support the aggregation of washed rabbit platelets.     

Selective recognition of adhesive sites in surface-bound fibrinogen by glycoprotein IIb-IIIa on nonactivated platelets

We demonstrate that unstimulated platelets attach to immobilized fibrinogen in a selective process mediated by the membrane glycoprotein (GP) complex IIb-IIIa (alpha IIb beta 3). The initial attachment, independent of platelet activation, is followed by spreading and irreversible adhesion even in the presence of activation inhibitors. Using fibrinogen fragments derived from plasmin digestion, we found that unstimulated platelets do not attach to immobilized fragment E, which contains an Arg-Gly-Asp sequence at A alpha 95-97, and adhere to fragments X and D, both containing the gamma 400-411 dodecapeptide adhesion sequence, less efficiently than to intact fibrinogen. Thus, the carboxyl terminus of the A alpha chain, missing in the "early" fragment X used in these studies, appears to be involved in the interaction of fibrinogen with unstimulated platelets. In contrast, activated platelets adhere to immobilized fibrinogen and fragments X, D, and E in a time-dependent and equivalent manner. Although activated platelets adhere to immobilized vitronectin, fibronectin, and von Willebrand factor through GP IIb-IIIa, unstimulated platelets fail to adhere to vitronectin and have only a limited capacity to adhere to fibronectin and von Willebrand factor. These results demonstrate that GP IIb-IIIa on unstimulated platelets displays a recognition specificity for attachment to immobilized adhesive proteins that is distinct from that seen following platelet activation. Thus, unstimulated platelets selectively interact with fibrinogen, and the initial attachment is followed by spreading and irreversible adhesion in the absence of exogenous agonists. This process may be regulated by plasmin cleavage of the fibrinogen A alpha chain and may play an important role during normal hemostasis and during the pathological development of thrombotic vascular occlusions.     

Efficiency of platelet adhesion to fibrinogen depends on both cell activation and flow

The kinetics of adhesion of platelets to fibrinogen (Fg) immobilized on polystyrene latex beads (Fg-beads) was determined in suspensions undergoing Couette flow at well-defined homogeneous shear rates. The efficiency of platelet adhesion to Fg-beads was compared for ADP-activated versus "resting" platelets. The effects of the shear rate (100-2000 s(-1)), Fg density on the beads (24-2882 Fg/microm(2)), the concentration of ADP used to activate the platelets, and the presence of soluble fibrinogen were assessed. "Resting" platelets did not specifically adhere to Fg-beads at levels detectable with our methodology. The apparent efficiency of platelet adhesion to Fg-beads readily correlated with the proportion of platelets "quantally" activated by doses of ADP, i.e., only ADP-activated platelets appeared to adhere to Fg-beads, with a maximal adhesion efficiency of 6-10% at shear rates of 100-300 s(-1), decreasing with increasing shear rates up to 2000 s(-1). The adhesion efficiency was found to decrease by only threefold when decreasing the density of Fg at the surface of the beads by 100-fold, with only moderate decreases in the presence of physiologic concentrations of soluble Fg. These adhesive interactions were also compared using activated GPIIbIIIa-coated beads. Our studies provide novel model particles for studying platelet adhesion relevant to hemostasis and thrombosis, and show how the state of activation of the platelet and the local flow conditions regulate Fg-dependent adhesion.     

Echistatin inhibits pp72 and pp125 phosphorylation in fibrinogen-adherent platelets

The adhesion of ADP-stimulated platelets to immobilized fibrinogen induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple proteins which include pp72^syk and pp125^FAK. The phosphorylation of these two proteins increases as function of time of platelet adhesion to fibrinogen; however, pp72^syk results strongly phosphorylated already after 15 min. whereas pp125^FAK reaches high levels of phosphorylation after 1 h of platelet adhesion. Phosphorylation of both proteins is only slightly detectable when platelets are held in suspension or when platelets are allowed to adhere to bovine serum albumin, a non-specific substrate. Echistatin, an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing snake-venom protein, affects protein tyrosine phosphorylation promoted by platelet adhesion to fibrinogen, by causing an approximately 44% and 39% decrease of pp72^syk and pp125^FAK phosphorylation, respectively. The interaction of echistatin with fibrinogen receptor glycoprotein Ilb-Illa on platelet surface might be responsible for the block of integrin-mediated signaling cascade, including pp72^syk and pp125^FAK inactivation.     

Red cell ICAM-4 is a novel ligand for platelet-activated alpha IIbbeta 3 integrin

ICAM-4 (LW blood group glycoprotein) is an erythroid-specific membrane component that belongs to the family of intercellular adhesion molecules and interacts in vitro with different members of the integrin family, suggesting a potential role in adhesion or cell interaction events, including hemostasis and thrombosis. To evaluate the capacity of ICAM-4 to interact with platelets, we have immobilized red blood cells (RBCs), platelets, and ICAM-Fc fusion proteins to a plastic surface and analyzed their interaction in cell adhesion assays with RBCs and platelets from normal individuals and patients, as well as with cell transfectants expressing the alpha(IIb)beta(3) integrin. The platelet fibrinogen receptor alpha(IIb)beta(3) (platelet GPIIb-IIIa) in a high affinity state following GRGDSP peptide activation was identified for the first time as the receptor for RBC ICAM-4. The specificity of the interaction was demonstrated by showing that: (i) activated platelets adhered less efficiently to immobilized ICAM-4-negative than to ICAM-4-positive RBCs, (ii) monoclonal antibodies specific for the beta(3)-chain alone and for a complex-specific epitope of the alpha(IIb)beta(3) integrin, and specific for ICAM-4 to a lesser extent, inhibited platelet adhesion, whereas monoclonal antibodies to GPIb, CD36, and CD47 did not, (iii) activated platelets from two unrelated type-I glanzmann's thrombasthenia patients did not bind to coated ICAM-4. Further support to RBC-platelet interaction was provided by showing that dithiothreitol-activated alpha(IIb)beta(3)-Chinese hamster ovary transfectants strongly adhere to coated ICAM-4-Fc protein but not to ICAM-1-Fc and was inhibitable by specific antibodies. Deletion of individual Ig domains of ICAM-4 and inhibition by synthetic peptides showed that the alpha(IIb)beta(3) integrin binding site encompassed the first and second Ig domains and that the G65-V74 sequence of domain D1 might play a role in this interaction. Although normal RBCs are considered passively entrapped in fibrin polymers during thrombus, these studies identify ICAM-4 as the first RBC protein ligand of platelets that may have relevant physiological significance.     

Determination of platelet adhesion to collagen and the associated formation of phosphatidic acid and calcium mobilization

A method was developed to study the adhesion of platelets to fibrillar collagen at 37 degrees C in the absence of aggregation. Human platelets were labeled with [3H]-oleic acid, gel-filtered, and incubated with collagen in the presence of receptor antagonists to thromboxane A2, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and platelet-activating factor, as well as a fibrinogen/fibronectin inhibitor and an ADP-removing system. Those platelets that adhered to collagen were separated from those that did not by filtration through a 10-microns nylon mesh and the extent of platelet adhesion was quantitated by determination of the radioactivity retained by the mesh. The extent of platelet adhesion was proportional to the amount of collagen added up to 100 micrograms/ml and was essentially complete by 1 min. At least 80-90% of the platelets were capable of adhering to collagen. Adhesion was potentiated by the presence of extracellular Mg2+ and this potentiation was inhibited by extracellular Ca2+. Phosphatidic acid increased markedly in those platelets that adhered to collagen and this was associated with increases in cytosolic free Ca2+ levels that could be detected using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2.     

Platelet adhesion to collagen-coated wells: analysis of this complex process and a comparison with the adhesion to matrigel-coated wells.

The mechanisms of platelet adhesion to collagen type III-coated wells and Matrigel-coated wells were analyzed. The adhesion of 51Cr-labeled platelets to collagen-coated wells showed a biphasic pattern. The early stage of adhesion was inhibited by antibodies against platelet glycoprotein(GP)s Ia/IIa and VI. The later stage of platelet adhesion was inhibited by an antibody against the GPIIb/IIIa complex and a concomitant release of 14C-labeled serotonin was observed. The percentage of adhered platelets was increased when a higher platelet concentration was added in the reaction medium. These results indicated that the adhesion assay of platelets to collagen-coated wells was composed of two reactions: the first one is the platelet-collagen interaction that depends on GPIa/IIa and GPVI on the platelet surface; and the second reaction is the platelet-platelet interaction, platelet aggregation, which depends on GPIIb/IIIa. The adhesion of platelets to Matrigel-coated wells was indicated to involve platelet-Matrigel interactions that were partly dependent on the laminin in the Matrigel solution.     

Adherence of platelets under flow conditions results in specific phosphorylation of proteins at tyrosine residues

Collagen is a powerful platelet activating agent that promotes adhesion and aggregation of platelets. To differentiate the signals generated in these processes we have analyzed the tyrosine phosphorylation occurring in platelets after activation with collagen in suspension or under flow conditions. For the suspension studies, washed platelets were activated with different concentrations of purified type I collagen (ColI). Studies under flow conditions were performed using two different adhesive substrata: ColI and endothelial cells extracellular matrix (ECM). Coverslips coated with ColI or ECM were perfused through a parallel-plate perfusion chamber at 800 s(-1) for 5 min. After activation of platelets either in suspension or by adhesion, samples were solubilized and proteins were resolved by electrophoresis. Tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were detected in immunoblots by specific antibodies. Activation of platelet suspensions with collagen induced tyrosine phosphorylation before aggregation could be detected. Profiles showing tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins from platelets adhered on ColI or on ECM were almost identical and lacked proteins p95, p80, p66, and p64, which were present in profiles from platelets activated in suspension. The intensity of phosphorylation was quantitatively weaker in those profiles from platelets adhered on ECM. Results from the present work indicate that activation of platelets in suspension or by adhesion induces differential tyrosine phosphorylation patterns. Phosphorylation of proteins p90 and p76 may be related to early activation events occurring during initial contact and spreading of platelets. Considering that adhesion is the first step of platelet activation, studies on signal transduction mechanisms under flow conditions may provide new insights to understand the signaling processes taking place at earliest stages of platelet activation.     

Platelet adhesion and degranulation induce pro-survival and pro-angiogenic signalling in ovarian cancer cells

Thrombosis is common in ovarian cancer. However, the interaction of platelets with ovarian cancer cells has not been critically examined. To address this, we investigated platelet interactions in a range of ovarian cancer cell lines with different metastatic potentials [HIO-80, 59M, SK-OV-3, A2780, A2780cis]. Platelets adhered to ovarian cancer cells with the most significant adhesion to the 59M cell line. Ovarian cancer cells induced platelet activation [P-selectin expression] in a dose dependent manner, with the most significant activation seen in response to the 59M cell line. The platelet antagonists [cangrelor, MRS2179, and apyrase] inhibited 59M cell induced activation suggesting a P2Y12 and P2Y1 receptor mediated mechanism of platelet activation dependent on the release of ADP by 59M cells. A2780 and 59M cells potentiated PAR-1, PAR-4, and TxA2 receptor mediated platelet activation, but had no effect on ADP, epinephrine, or collagen induced activation. Analysis of gene expression changes in ovarian cancer cells following treatment with washed platelets or platelet releasate showed a subtle but valid upregulation of anti-apoptotic, anti-autophagy pro-angiogenic, pro-cell cycle and metabolic genes. Thus, ovarian cancer cells with different metastatic potential adhere and activate platelets differentially while both platelets and platelet releasate mediate pro-survival and pro-angiogenic signals in ovarian cancer cells.     

A comparison of the fibrinogen receptor distribution on adherent platelets using both soluble fibrinogen and fibrinogen immobilized on gold beads

The distribution of fibrinogen receptors was determined on the surface of adherent platelets using both direct labeling with the ligand fibrinogen which was immobilized on gold particles (Fg-Au) and indirect immunogold (Ig-Au) labeling of bound soluble fibrinogen identified with a rabbit polyclonal anti-fibrinogen antibody. Two distinctly different patterns of labeling were obtained and appeared to depend on whether solid phase fibrinogen (Fg-Au) or soluble phase released fibrinogen were bound to the membrane receptor. The membrane-bound Fg-Au reorganized in patterns that closely mimicked the organization of the underlying cytoskeleton. In approximately 18% of the adherent platelets, Fg-Au was seen in channels or vesicle-like structures lying deep to the platelet surface suggesting internalization into the open canalicular system and/or endocytosis. The labeling pattern obtained when identifying the location of membrane-bound soluble released fibrinogen by Ig-Au was diffuse and lacked the organizational patterns characteristic of Fg-Au. Unlike the Fg-Au probe, early dendritic platelets were heavily labeled by the soluble phase fibrinogen using the Ig-Au technique. Although the label covered the entire exposed platelet membrane in fully spread platelets, labeling over the peripheral web was more dense than that over the intermediate or granulomere zone. The diffuse organization and heavier peripheral distributional pattern of the glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (GP IIb-IIIa) receptor in fixed, adherent platelets, was also seen with the GP IIb-IIIa receptor-specific antibody AP-2. The binding of both the Fg-Au and Ig-Au were inhibited using the tetrapeptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) (93% and 98% inhibition, respectively), AP-2 (98% and 97%, respectively) and platelets from patients with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) (99% and 98%, respectively). The data presented provides the first report that receptor reorganization, following binding of fibrinogen, appears to be related to the state of the ligand. Substrate bound fibrinogen (i.e., Fg-Au or fibrinogen bound to another platelet) induces receptor translocation toward the platelet granulomere in a capping-like phenomenon. On the other hand, the binding of soluble released fibrinogen results in formation of microclusters and short linear arrays in a diffuse distribution but does not induce central movement of receptors. Furthermore, double labeling studies clarify that Fg-Au does not identify all available fibrinogen receptors as many are occupied by soluble released fibrinogen. The data presented provides an interesting new perspective on what constitutes an appropriate ligand-receptor stimulus sufficient to induce receptor reorganization.     

Microenvironmental geometry guides platelet adhesion and spreading: a quantitative analysis at the single cell level

To activate clot formation and maintain hemostasis, platelets adhere and spread onto sites of vascular injury. Although this process is well-characterized biochemically, how the physical and spatial cues in the microenvironment affect platelet adhesion and spreading remain unclear. In this study, we applied deep UV photolithography and protein micro/nanostamping to quantitatively investigate and characterize the spatial guidance of platelet spreading at the single cell level and with nanoscale resolution. Platelets adhered to and spread only onto micropatterned collagen or fibrinogen surfaces and followed the microenvironmental geometry with high fidelity and with single micron precision. Using micropatterned lines of different widths, we determined that platelets are able to conform to micropatterned stripes as thin as 0.6 μm and adopt a maximum aspect ratio of 19 on those protein patterns. Interestingly, platelets were also able to span and spread over non-patterned regions of up to 5 μm, a length consistent with that of maximally extended filopodia. This process appears to be mediated by platelet filopodia that are sensitive to spatial cues. Finally, we observed that microenvironmental geometry directly affects platelet biology, such as the spatial organization and distribution of the platelet actin cytoskeleton. Our data demonstrate that platelet spreading is a finely-tuned and spatially-guided process in which spatial cues directly influence the biological aspects of how clot formation is regulated.     

Role of IIb-IIIa-like glycoproteins in cell-substratum adhesion of human melanoma cells

The platelet fibrinogen receptor, glycoprotein complex IIb-IIIa, was isolated from human platelets by lectin and monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography and a polyclonal antiserum (anti-IIb-IIIa) was generated and used to probe for the presence and function of IIb-IIIa-like molecules in two adherent human cell lines. Both C32 melanoma cells and WI38 fibroblasts expressed a IIb-IIIa-like complex on their surface as indicated by immunoprecipitation of detergent extracts of surface radiolabeled cells. When added to cells plated in medium containing 10% serum, the anti-IIb-IIIa antiserum perturbed the adhesion of C32 melanoma cells, but not of WI38 fibroblasts. In a serum-free system, anti-IIb-IIIa antibodies inhibited attachment and spreading of C32 cells to fibrinogen, vitronectin, and fibronectin adsorbed to glass. Anti-IIb-IIIa had no effect on the attachment and spreading of WI38 cells to the extracellular matrix proteins, however. Thus, the IIb-IIIa-like complex appears to play a predominant role in cell-substratum adhesion of C32 cells, but not WI38 cells, and may result from the fact that, on a protein basis, the C32 melanoma cells express approximately 3 times more complex on their surface than do WI38 fibroblasts. The results suggest that the relative abundance of a particular adhesion receptor on the cell surface may govern its importance to cell-substratum adhesion.     

Adhesion of blood platelets to collagen and fibrinogen after treatment with cisplatin and its complex with glutathione

Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II, CDDP) is one of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs. Unfortunately, it induces serious side effects such as haematological toxicity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of CDDP on the first step in blood platelet activation-platelet adhesion, induced by thrombin or adenosine diphosphate (ADP), to collagen and fibrinogen. The action of cisplatin was compared with the action of cisplatin glutathione complex (GS-Pt) on platelet adhesion and on free radical generation measured by chemiluminescence. Pretreatment of blood platelets with cisplatin (0.1-20 microM) caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction of platelet adhesion to collagen and fibrinogen (p <0.05). The GS-Pt complex (20 microM, 30 min) had a stronger inhibitory effect on this process. Moreover, the complex (R2 = 0.992; p <0.05) also stimulated the chemiluminescence of blood platelets to a greater extent than CDDP alone (R2 = 0.999; p <0.01). The results suggest that inhibition of platelet adhesion in the presence of cisplatin and its complex with glutathione correlates with the generation of reactive oxygen species in these cells.     

Adherence of Platelets Under Flow Conditions Results in Specific Phosphorylation of Proteins at Tyrosine Residues

Collagen is a powerful platelet activating agent that promotes adhesion and aggregation of platelets. To differentiate the signals generated in these processes we have analyzed the tyrosine phosphorylation occurring in platelets after activation with collagen in suspension or under flow conditions. For the suspension studies, washed platelets were activated with different concentrations of purified type I collagen (Coll). Studies under flow conditions were performed using two different adhesive substrata: Coll and endothelial cells extracellular matrix (ECM). Coverslips coated with Coll or ECM were perfused through a parallel-plate perfusion chamber at 800s^?1 for 5 min. After activation of platelets either in suspension or by adhesion, samples were solubilized and proteins were resolved by electrophoresis. Tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were detected in immunoblots by specific antibodies. Activation of platelet suspensions with collagen induced tyrosine phosphorylation before aggregation could be detected. Profiles showing tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins from platelets adhered on Coll or on ECM were almost identical and lacked proteins p95, p80, p66, and p64. which were present in profiles from platelets activated in suspension. The intensity of phosphorylation was quantitatively weaker in those profiles from platelets adhered on ECM. Results from the present work indicate that activation of platelets in suspension or by adhesion induces differential tyrosine phosphorylation patterns. Phosphorylation of proteins p90 and p76 may be related to early activation events occurring during initial contact and spreading of platelets. Considering that adhesion is the first step of platelet activation, studies on signal transduction mechanisms under flow conditions may provide new insights to understand the signaling processes taking place at earliest stages of platelet activation.     

Mechanisms of platelet and leukocyte recruitment in experimental colitis

Both leukocytes and platelets accumulate in the colonic microvasculature during experimental colitis, leading to microvascular dysfunction and tissue injury. The objective of this study was to determine whether the recruitment of leukocytes and platelets in inflamed colonic venules are codependent processes. The rolling and adherence of leukocytes and platelets in colonic venules of mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis were monitored by intravital videomicroscopy. DSS elicited an increased recruitment of both rolling and adherent leukocytes and platelets. DSS-colitic mice rendered thrombocytopenic with anti-platelet serum exhibited profound reductions in leukocyte adhesion. Neutropenia, induced with anti-neutrophil serum, significantly reduced the adhesion of leukocytes and the accumulation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates while greatly enhancing the number of platelets that roll and adhere directly to venular endothelial cells. The enhanced platelet adhesion associated with neutropenia was mediated by platelet P-selectin interactions with endothelial cell P-selectin glycoprotein ligand (PSGL-1). DSS colitis was also associated with an increased expression of PSGL-1 in the colonic vasculature. These findings indicate that the recruitment of leukocytes and platelets in inflamed colonic venules are co-dependent processes.     

Activation and extinction models for platelet adhesion

Adherent platelets are an important part of both thrombus formation and in certain stages of atherogenesis. Platelets can be activated by potent chemicals released from adherent platelets and adhere far more readily than unactivated ones. An analytical and numerical model is presented utilising high Peclet number for the activation and adhesion of platelets in shear flows. The model uses a similarity transformation, which characterises the relationship between convective, diffusive transport and the bulk platelet activating reaction mechanism. A first order surface reaction mechanism is used to model platelet adhesion at the wall (cell) surface. The reduced Damk?hler number, M, characterises the importance of the bulk reaction and includes both convective and diffusive terms. For a high rate of blood flow (M-->0) the activation of platelets can effectively be terminated. In contrast, for (M-->infinity) an inner layer of activated platelets exists with an infinitesimally thin reaction sheet separating activated and non-activated platelets. This characterisation by the Damk?hler number highlights results found clinically, in that thrombus forms in areas of low shear (high M) and in some cases an increased blood flow (low M) can inhibit the activation of platelets completely. The model shows the critical balance that exists between convection, diffusion and reaction.