Previous studies have demonstrated that a high level of shear stress can produce platelet aggregation without the addition of any agonist. We investigated whether high shear stress could cause both platelet aggregation and shedding of microparticles from the platelet plasma membrane. A coneplate viscometer was used to apply shear stress and microparticle formation was measured by flow cytometry. It was found that microparticle formation increased as the duration of shear stress increased. Both microparticles and the remnant platelets showed the exposure of procoagulant activity on their surfaces. Investigation of the mechanisms involved in shear-dependent microparticle generation showed that binding of von Willebrand factor (vWF) to platelet glycoprotein lb, influx of extracellular calcium, and activation of platelet calpain were required to generate microparticles under high shear stress conditions. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) promoted shear-dependent microparticle formation. Epinephrine did not influence microparticle formation, although it enhanced platelet aggregation by high shear stress. These findings suggest the possibility that local generation of microparticles in atherosclerotic arteries, the site that pathologically high shear stress could occur, may contribute to arterial thrombosis by providing and expanding a catalytic surface for the coagulation cascade.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase has been recognized as an enzyme that inactivates PAF. We developed a convenient and reproducible method for determining human serum PAF acetyihydrolase activity. The assay was based on measurement of 1I4Clacetate produced from 1-O-alkyl-2-1'4C]-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine upon precipitation of the complex of radioactive substrate and albumin with TCA. The apparent Km value of PAF acetylhydrolase (near the physiological concentration of serum protein) was 1.5 X 10-4 M PAF. 32 subjects with serum PAF acetylhydrolase deficiency were found among 816 healthy Japanese adults. The low PAF acetylhydrolase activity in the deficient serum might not be due to the presence of enzyme inhibitor. Both the sensitivity to PAF and the metabolism of PAF in platelets from PAF acetylhydrolase-deficient subjects were almost the same as those of normal subjects. Deficiency in serum PAF acetylhydrolase appeared to be transmitted by autosomal recessive heredity among five Japanese families. Among healthy adults, healthy children, and asthmatic children, who were grouped into five classes on the basis of respiratory symptoms (remission, wheezy, mild, moderate, and severe groups), the probability of PAF acetylhydrolase deficiency was significantly higher in groups with severe symptoms (moderate and severe) (P < 0.01). These results suggest that deficiency of serum PAF acetylhydrolase might be one of the factors leading to severe respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children.

SummaryWe investigated the association of amyloid β-protein precursor (APP) and platelet derived microparticles in 20 normal controls and 91 patients with various diseases causing a thrombotic tendency. Compared with the controls, the mean percentage of APP-positive microparticles was significantly greater in the patients with cerebral infarction (39.1 ± 17.7%, p <0.001), diabetes (31.1 ± 12.6%, p <0.001), and uremia (30.1 ± 14.7%, p <0.01), but not in those with hypertension (8.2 ±6.3%, p = NS). Sixteen patients with cerebral infarction, 20 with diabetes, and 11 with uremia had microparticles with very high APP levels. In normal controls, 7.2 ± 3.7% of the microparticles were positive for P-selectin, while the percentage in cerebral infarction, diabetes, uremia, and hypertension was respectively 43.5 ± 15.1%, 40.0 ± 12.8%, 31.8 ±12.2%, and 11.6 ±7.3%. There was a significant correlation between P-selectin and APP positivity of microparticles. Our results suggest that microparticle APP may have a regulatory influence on coagulation abnormalities.

No abstract

No abstract

NNKY5-5, an IgG monoclonal antibody directed against the von Willebrand factor-binding domain of glycoprotein (GP) Ibα, induced weak but irreversible aggregation (or association) of platelets in citrate-anticoagulated platelet-rich plasma. This phenomenon was defined as small aggregate formation (SAF ). Platelets in hirudin-anticoagulated plasma or washed platelets showed little response to NNKY5-5 alone, but the antibody potentiated aggregation induced by low concentrations of adenosine diphosphate or platelet-activating factor. NNKY5-5 did not induce granule release or intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. However, NNKY5-5 caused tyrosine phosphorylation of a 64-kD protein and activation of a tyrosine kinase, p72syk. An anti-FcγII receptor antibody had no effect on SAF, suggesting that NNKY5-5 activated platelets by interacting with glycoprotein Ib. Fab′ fragments of NNKY5-5 did not induce SAF, but potentiated aggregation induced by other agonists. The Fab′ fragment of NNKY5-5 induced the activation of p72syk, suggesting that such activation was independent of the FcγII receptor. Cross-linking of the receptor-bound Fab′ fragment of NNKY5-5 with a secondary antibody induced SAF. GRGDS peptide, chelation of extracellular Ca2+, and an anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody inhibited NNKY5-5-induced SAF, but had no effect on 64-kD protein tyrosine phosphorylation or p72syk activations. Various inhibitors, including aspirin and protein kinase C, had no effect on SAF, protein tyrosine phosphorylation, or p72syk activation. In contrast, tyrphostin 47, a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor, inhibited NNKY5-5–induced SAF as well as tyrosine phosphorylation and p72syk activation. Our findings suggest that binding of NNKY5-5 to GPIb potentiates platelet aggregation by facilitating the interaction between fibrinogen and GPIIb/IIIa through a mechanism associated with p72syk activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of a 64-kD protein.

We investigated the role of α_IIbβ₃ in microparticle generation by normal and thrombasthenic platelets stimulated with collagen plus thrombin. Microparticle generation by normal platelets was scarcely inhibited by monoclonal antibodies for glyco-protein lb and glycoprotein IX. Although one monoclonal anti-α α_IIbβ₃ antibody (NNKY1-32) partly inhibited microparticle generation, 3 other monoclonal anti-α α_IIbβ₃ antibodies had little effect. However, the combination of 4 monoclonal anti- α_IIbβ₃ antibodies or treatment with a polyclonal anti- α_IIbβ₃ antibody significantly inhibited microparticle generation (p < 0.05). Microparticle generation by thrombasthenic platelets also occurred after stimulation with collagen plus thrombin, although at a significantly lower level compared with normal platelets. Monoclonal antibodies for resting α_IIbβ₃, P-selectin, activated α_IIbβ₃ and β₂-glycoprotein I bound to microparticles from healthy platelets. In contrast, only a monoclonal antibody for β₂-glycoprotein I bound to thrombasthenic microparticles. These results suggest that microparticle generation by collagen plus thrombin occurs via two different mechanisms which are dependent and independent of α_IIbβ₃, respectively. The α_IIbβ₃-dependent mechanism appears to require activation of α_IIbβ₃·

SummaryHuman platelet glycoprotein Ib/IX complex acts as a receptor for von Willebrand factor. It is widely accepted that glycoprotein lb is the essential receptor component, but the role of glycoprotein IX is still unclear. We produced a new monoclonal anti-glycoprotein IX antibody (KMP-9) by the hybridoma technique using platelets from a patient with Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia. The epitope of KMP-9 was localized to the C-terminal 8 kD fragment of glycoprotein IX using ELISA analysis of polyethylene-pin-synthesized peptides, as well as Western blot analysis of platelets after digestion with N-glycosidase and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. KMP-9 partially inhibited high shear stress-induced platelet aggregation, but had no effect on aggregation induced by ristocetin or low shear stress. Its inhibitory effect on high shear stress-induced aggregation was weaker than that of antiglycoprotein lb or anti-glycoprotein Ilb/IIIa monoclonal antibodies. A 21-mer synthetic peptide (glycoprotein IX L110-G130) inhibited the binding of KMP-9 to platelets. It also competively inhibited the suppression of high shear stress-induced platelet aggregation by KMP-9, but had no direct effect on this aggregation. KMP-9 may be useful to clarify the physiological role of GPIX.