Adhesion of adenosine diphosphate-activated platelets to human brain microvascular endothelial cells under flow in vitro is mediated via GPIIb/IIIa

Blood Platelets as an Important but Underrated Circulating Source of TGFβ

When treating diseases related primarily to tissue remodeling and fibrosis, it is desirable to regulate TGFβ concentration and modulate its biological effects. The highest cellular concentrations of TGFβ are found in platelets, with about 40% of all TGFβ found in peripheral blood plasma being secreted by them. Therefore, an understanding of the mechanisms of TGFβ secretion from platelets may be of key importance for medicine. Unfortunately, despite the finding that platelets are an important regulator of TGFβ levels, little research has been carried out into the development of platelet-directed therapies that might modulate the TGFβ-dependent processes. Nevertheless, there are some very encouraging reports suggesting that platelet TGFβ may be specifically involved in cardiovascular diseases, liver fibrosis, tumour metastasis, cerebral malaria and in the regulation of inflammatory cell functions. The purpose of this review is to briefly summarize these few, extremely encouraging reports to indicate the state of current knowledge in this topic. It also attempts to better characterize the influence of TGFβ on platelet activation and reactivity, and its shaping of the roles of blood platelets in haemostasis and thrombosis.

A single-cell analysis platform for electrochemiluminescent detection of platelets adhesion to endothelial cells based on Au@DL-ZnCQDs nanoprobes

A novel single-cell analysis platform (SCA) was developed for the investigation of platelets adhesion to single human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) via using the adhesion molecule (E-selectin) on the damaged HUVEC as the marker site, and integrating electrochemiluminescence (ECL) with the ultrasensitive Au@DL-ZnCQDs nanoprobes. The Au@DL-ZnCQDs nanocomposite, a kind of double layer zinc-coadsorbed carbon quantum dot (ZnCQDs) core-shell nanoprobe, was firstly constructed by using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the core to load with ZnCQDs and then the citrate-modified silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as the bridge to link AuNPs-ZnCQDs with ZnCQDs to form the core-shell with double layer ZnCQDs (DL-ZnCQDs) nanoprobe, revealed a 10-fold signal amplification. The H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage HUVECs were utilized as the cellular model on which anti-E-selectin functionalized nanoprobes specially recognized E-selectin, the SCA showed that the ECL signals decreased with platelets adhesion to single HUVEC. The proposed SCA could effectively and dynamically monitor the adhesion between single HUVEC and platelets in the absence and presence of collagen activation, moreover, be able to quantitatively detect the number of platelets adhesion to single HUVEC, and show a good analytical performance with linear range from 1 to 15 platelets. In contrast, the HUVEC was down-regulated the expression of adhesion molecules by treating with quercetin inhibitor, and the SCA also exhibited the feasibility for analysis of platelets adhesion to single HUVEC. Therefore, the single-cell analysis platform provided a novel and promising protocol for analysis of the single intercellular adhesion, and it will be beneficial to elucidate the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.

Platelet interaction with activated endothelium: mechanistic insights from microfluidics

Traditionally, in vitro flow chamber experiments and in vivo arterial thrombosis studies have been proved to be of vital importance to elucidate the mechanisms of platelet thrombus formation after vessel wall injury. In recent years, it has become clear that platelets also act as modulators of inflammatory processes, such as atherosclerosis. A key element herein is the complex cross talk between platelets, the coagulation system, leukocytes, and the activated endothelium. This review provides insight into the platelet-endothelial interface, based on in vitro flow chamber studies and cross referenced with in vivo thrombosis studies. The main mechanisms of platelet interaction with the activated endothelium encompass (1) platelet rolling via interaction of platelet glycoprotein Ib-IX-V with endothelial-released von Willebrand factor with a supporting role for the P-selectin/P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 axis, followed by (2) firm platelet adhesion to the endothelium via interaction of platelet α_IIbβ₃ with endothelial α_vβ₃ and intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and (3) a stimulatory role for thrombin, the thrombospondin-1/CD36 axis and cyclooxygenase 1 in subsequent platelet activation and stable thrombus formation. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying the stimulatory effect of platelets on leukocyte transendothelial migration, a key mediator of atheroprogression, are discussed. Throughout the review, emphasis is placed on recommendations for setting up, reporting, interpreting, and comparing endothelial-lined flow chamber studies and suggestions for future studies.

Involvement of a CD47-dependent pathway in platelet adhesion on inflamed vascular endothelium under flow

Resting platelet adhesion to inflammatory vascular endothelium is thought to play a causal role in secondary thrombus formation or microcirculatory disturbance after vessel occlusion. However, though adhesion receptors involved in platelet-matrix interactions have been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms involved in platelet-endothelium interactions are incompletely characterized and have been mainly studied under static conditions. Using human platelets or platelets from wild-type and CD47-/- mice in whole blood, we demonstrated that at low shear rate, CD47 expressed on human and mouse platelets significantly contributes to platelet adhesion on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-stimulated vascular endothelial cells. Using the CD47 agonist peptide 4N1K and blocking monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), we showed that CD47 binds the cell-binding domain (CBD) of endothelial thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), inducing activation of the platelet alphaIIbbeta3 integrin that in turn becomes able to link the endothelial receptors intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and alphavbeta3. Platelet CD36 and GPIbalpha are also involved because platelet incubation with blocking mAbs directed against each of these 2 receptors significantly decreased platelet arrest. Given that anti-CD47 treatment of platelets did not further decrease the adhesion of anti-CD36-treated platelets and CD36 is a TSP-1 receptor, it appears that CD36/TSP-1 interaction could trigger the CD47-dependent pathway. Overall, CD47 antagonists may be potentially useful to inhibit platelet adhesion on inflamed endothelium.

Low venular shear rates promote leukocyte-dependent recruitment of adherent platelets

The influence of reductions in venular shear rate on platelet-endothelial (P/E) cell adhesion has not been previously addressed. The objectives of this study were to define the effects of reductions in venular shear rate on P/E cell adhesion and to determine the interdependence of P/E cell adhesion and leukocyte-endothelial (L/E) cell adhesion at low shear rates. Intravital videomicroscopy was used to quantify P/E and L/E cell adhesion in rat mesenteric venules exposed to shear rates ranging between 118 +/- 9 and 835 +/- 44 s(-1). Shear rate was altered in postcapillary venules by rapid, graded blood withdrawal, without retransfusion of shed blood. Reducing shear rate from >600 s(-1) to <200 s(-1) resulted in an eightfold increase in L/E cell adhesion, whereas P/E cell adhesion increased 18-fold. A blocking antibody directed against P-selectin blunted both the P/E and L/E cell adhesion elicited by low shear rates. Immunoneutralization of CD11/CD18 on leukocytes or rendering animals neutropenic also blocked the shear rate-dependent recruitment of both platelets and leukocytes. These findings indicate that 1) low shear rates promote P/E and L/E cell adhesion in mesenteric venules, and 2) adherent neutrophils (mediated by CD11/CD18) create a platform onto which platelets can bind to the venular wall at low shear rates.