Modulation of thrombin-induced platelet aggregation by inhibition of calpain by a synthetic peptide derived from the thiol-protease inhibitory sequence of kininogens and S-(3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl)-cysteine

Identification and optimization of a novel inhibitor of mitochondrial calpain 10

Calpain 10 has been localized to the mitochondria and is a key mediator of Ca(2+) induced mitochondrial dysfunction. A peptide screen followed by a series of modifications identified the homodisulfide form of CYGAK (CYGAK)(2) as an inhibitor of calpain 10 while showing no inhibitory activity against calpain 1. Methylation or truncation of the N-terminal cysteine significantly reduced the inhibitory activity of (CYGAK)(2) and inhibition was reversed by reducing agents, suggesting that CYGAK forms a disulfide with a cysteine near the active site. Data suggests CYGAK may be a P' calpain inhibitor and may achieve its specificity through this mechanism. CYGAK inhibited calpain activity in intact mitochondria, renal cells, and hepatocytes, prevented Ca(2+) induced cleavage of NDUFV2, and blocked Ca(2+) induced state III dysfunction. (CYGAK)(2) is the first P' specific calpain inhibitor and will be a valuable tool to prevent Ca(2+) induced mitochondrial dysfunction and explore the function of calpain 10.

Certain autoantibodies to phosphatidylethanolamine (aPE) recognize factor XI and prekallikrein independently or in addition to the kininogens

Recent evidence shows that many antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) to negatively-charged phospholipid (PL) do not target anionic PL per se, but are specific for anionic PL-binding plasma proteins, for example, beta(2)-glycoprotein I (beta(2)-GPI) and prothrombin. We also reported that certain antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies (aPE) are not specific for phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) per se, but are directed to PE-binding plasma proteins, high molecular weight kininogen (HK), and low molecular weight kininogen (LK). Additional studies have shown that certain aPE failed to recognize purified kininogens but continued to produce aPE ELISA reactivity in the presence of semipurified HK preparations containing the HK binding proteins, factor XI (FXI) and prekallikrein (PK). We therefore investigated if certain of these aPE recognized FXI and/or PK. In this study we observed that aPE can recognize contact proteins FXI and PK independently or in combination with HK. Since contact proteins such as HK, PK and factor XII (FXII) have anti-coagulant and profibrinolytic functions, the pathophysiological role of aPE has yet to be elucidated. We propose that aPE of different specificities may initiate or promote characteristics pathological conditions in patients with thrombosis or recurrent pregnancy losses.

Plasma kallikrein/kinin system: a revised hypothesis for its activation and its physiologic contributions

Recent studies indicate that assembly of high molecular weight kininogen on its multiprotein receptor allows for prekallikrein activation. On endothelial cells, factor XII activation is secondary to prekallikrein activation and amplifies it. The immediate consequence of plasma prekallikrein activation is the cleavage of high molecular weight kininogen (HK) with liberation of bradykinin. Cleaved high molecular weight kininogen is antiangiogenic. Bradykinin stimulates tPA liberation and nitric oxide formation. In addition, formed plasma kallikrein promotes single-chain urokinase activation and subsequent plasminogen activation. Kininogens and their breakdown products also are antithrombins. The angiotensin converting enzyme breakdown product of bradykinin prevents canine coronary thrombosis. The author presents a new hypothesis for physiologic assembly and activation of the plasma kallikrein/kinin system and discusses its influence on vascular biology.

Evidence for a cyclic GMP-independent mechanism in the anti-platelet action of S-nitrosoglutathione

1. We have measured the ability of a range of NO donor compounds to stimulate cyclic GMP accumulation and inhibit collagen-induced aggregation of human washed platelets. In addition, the rate of spontaneous release of NO from each donor has been measured spectrophotometrically by the oxidation of oxyhaemoglobin to methaemoglobin. The NO donors used were five s-nitrosothiol compounds: S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), S-nitrosocysteine (cysNO), S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP), S-nitroso-N-acetyl-cysteine (SNAC), S-nitrosohomocysteine (homocysNO), and two non-nitrosothiol compounds: diethylamine NONOate (DEANO) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). 2. Using 10 microM of each donor compound, mean+/-s.e.mean rate of NO release ranged from 0.04+/-0.001 nmol min(-1) (for SNP) to 3.15+/-0.29 nmol min(-1) (for cysNO); cyclic GMP accumulation ranged from 0.43+/-0.05 pmol per 10(8) platelets (for SNP) to 2.67+/-0.31 pmol per 10(8) platelets (for cysNO), and inhibition of platelet aggregation ranged from 40+/-6.4% (for SNP) to 90+/-3.8% (for SNAC). 3. There was a significant positive correlation between the rate of NO release and the ability of the different NO donors to stimulate intra-platelet cyclic GMP accumulation (r = 0.83; P = 0.02). However, no significant correlation was observed between the rate of NO release and the inhibition of platelet aggregation by the different NO donors (r= -0.17), nor was there a significant correlation between cyclic GMP accumulation and inhibition of aggregation by the different NO donor compounds (r = 0.34). 4. Comparison of the dose-response curves obtained with GSNO, DEANO and 8-bromo cyclic GMP showed DEANO to be the most potent stimulator of intraplatelet cyclic GMP accumulation (P < 0.001 vs both GSNO and 8-bromo cyclic GMP), but GSNO to be the most potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation (P < 0.01 vs DEANO, and P < 0.001 vs 8-bromo cyclic GMP). 5. The rate of NO release from GSNO, and its ability both to stimulate intra-platelet cyclic GMP accumulation and to inhibit platelet aggregation, were all significantly diminished by the copper (I) (Cu+) chelating agent bathocuproine disulphonic acid (BCS). In contrast, BCS had no effect on either the rate of NO release, or the anti-platelet action of the non-nitrosothiol compound DEANO. 6. Cyclic GMP accumulation in response to GSNO (10(-9) 10(-5) M) was undetectable following treatment of platelets with ODQ (100 microM), a selective inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase. Despite this abolition of guanylate cyclase stimulation, GSNO retained some ability to inhibit aggregation, indicating the presence of a cyclic GMP-independent component in its anti-platelet action. However, this component was abolished following treatment of platelets with a combination of both ODQ and BCS, suggesting that Cu+ ions were required for the cyclic GMP-independent pathway to operate. 7. The cyclic GMP-independent action of GSNO, observed in ODQ-treated platelets, could not be explained by an increase in intra-platelet cyclic AMP. 8. The impermeable thiol modifying agent p-chloromercuriphenylsulphonic acid (CMPS) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of aggregation of ODQ-treated platelets, accompanied by a progressive loss of detectable platelet surface thiol groups. Additional treatment with GSNO failed to increase the degree of aggregation inhibition, suggesting that a common pathway of thiol modification might be utilized by both GSNO and CMPS to elicit cyclic GMP-independent inhibition of platelet aggregation. 9. We conclude that NO donor compounds mediate inhibition of platelet aggregation by both cyclic GMP-dependent and -independent pathways. Cyclic GMP generation is related to the rate of spontaneous release of NO from the donor compound, but transfer of the NO signal to the cyclic GMP-independent pathway may depend upon a cellular system which involves both copper (I) (Cu+) ions and surface membrane thiol groups. The potent anti-platelet action of GSNO

Autoantibodies to kininogen-phosphatidylethanolamine complexes augment thrombin-induced platelet aggregation

Autoantibodies to the zwitterionic phospholipid (PL), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), have been described in patients with thrombotic disease. We have reported that certain anti-PE antibodies (aPE) are not specific for PE, but are directed to PE-binding plasma proteins, high molecular weight kininogen (HK) and low molecular weight kininogen (LK). Kininogens bind to platelets and inhibit thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. This inhibition is specific for thrombin because kininogens do not inhibit platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen or calcium ionophore. To date, a platelet kininogen receptor has not been described. We recently reported that purified kininogens bind to purified PE in vitro. This opens the possibility that kininogens can bind to platelets by virtue of exposed PE in the platelet membrane. We thus questioned if aPE can recognize platelet bound kininogens and negate their antithrombotic property. Our experiments support this possibility by demonstrating that exogenously added kininogen-dependent IgG aPE markedly increased thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in vitro but did not alter ADP-induced aggregation. In contrast, kininogen independent IgG aPE which recognized PE per se did not augment thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. These data support a hypothesis that kininogen dependent aPE may cause thrombosis in vivo due to disruption of the normal antithrombotic effects of kininogen.

Inhibition of ADP-induced platelet activation by 7-chloro-4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole: covalent modification of aggregin, a putative ADP receptor

ADP-induced platelet responses play an important role in the maintenance of hemostasis. There has been disagreement concerning the identity of an ADP receptor on the platelet surface. The chemical structure of 7-chloro-4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-CI) shows considerable resemblance to that of the adenine moiety of adenine-based nucleotides. The reagent has been previously used by other investigators as an affinity label for adenine nucleotide-requiring enzymes, such as mitochondrial ATPase and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Since ADP-induced platelet responses depend on the binding of ADP to its receptor, we investigated the effect on ADP-induced platelet responses and the nature of ADP-binding protein modified by NBD-CI. NBD-CI inhibited ADP-induced shape change and aggregation of platelets in platelet-rich plasma in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. NBD-CI also inhibited ADP-induced shape change, aggregation, exposure of fibrinogen binding sites, secretion, and calcium mobilization in washed platelets. NBD-CI did not act as an agonist for platelet shape change and aggregation. Covalent modification of platelets by NBD-CI blocked the ability of ADP to antagonize the increase in intracellular levels of cAMP mediated by iloprost (a stable analogue of prostaglandin I2). NBD-CI was quite specific in inhibiting platelet aggregation by those agonists, e.g., ADP, collagen, and U44619 (a thromboxane mimetic), that completely or partially depend on the binding of ADP to its receptor. Autoradiogram of the gel obtained by SDS-PAGE of solubilized platelets modified by [14C]-NBD-CI showed the presence of a predominant radiolabeled protein band at 100 kDa corresponding to aggregin, a putative ADP receptor. The intensity of this band was considerably decreased when platelets were either preincubated with ADP and ATP or covalently modified by a sulfhydryl group modifying reagent before modification by [14C]-NBD-CI. These results (1) indicate that covalent modification of aggregin by NBD-CI contributed to loss of the ADP-induced platelet responses, and (2) suggest that there is a sulfhydryl group in the ADP-binding domain of aggregin.

Hybrids of chicken cystatin with human kininogen domain 2 sequences exhibit novel inhibition of calpain, improved inhibition of actinidin and impaired inhibition of papain, cathepsin L and cathepsin B

Chicken cystatin and human kininogen domain 2 are members of the cystatin superfamily of protein-type cysteine proteinase inhibitors. They show structural and functional similarities, but only human kininogen domain 2 inhibits calpain. Using recombinant chicken cystatin as a scaffold for hybrid cassette analysis, the known reactive-site regions (N-terminus, first hairpin loop and second hairpin loop) were substituted by the corresponding sequences of human kininogen domain 2 in a single and combined manner. Seven hybrids were expressed, purified to homogeneity, characterized protein-chemically, and their inhibition of papain, actinidin, human cathepsin B, human cathepsin L and calpain (80-kDa subunit of rabbit skeletal muscle calpain II and porcine erthrocyte calpain 1) was determined. Strong but temporary inhibition of calpain by chicken cystatin hybrids carrying the N-terminus alone (variant sc1-KD2) or the N-terminus together with the first hairpin loop (variant sc1/2-KD2) was observed; hybrids of the second hairpin loop (sc3-KD2, sc1/3-KD2, sc2/3-KD2, sc1/2/3-KD2) were less strong calpain inhibitors. These data indicate that the inhibiton of calpain by human kininogen domain 2 requires the correct conformation and combination of several contact sites, and suggest that the N-terminus and the first hairpin loop play a major role in this ensemble. Remarkably, hybrid sc2-KD2 exhibited 5 or 150 times stronger inhibition of actinidin compared to native chicken cystatin or to proteolytically isolated human kininogen domain 2, respectively. This indicates an important role of the first hairpin loop of cystatins in the interaction with actinidin. Along with the impaired inhibition of cathepsin L, papain, actinidin, cathepsin B and calpain by the hybrids sc1/3-KD2, sc2/3-KD2 and sc1/2/3-KD2, these results support our hypothesis that all three predicted contact regions of kininogen domain 2 contribute to binding in the active-site clefts of papain-like enzymes in a finely balanced manner.

Specificity of the sequence in Phe-Gln-Val-Val-Cys (-3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl)-Gly-NH2--a selective inhibitor of thrombin-induced platelet aggregation

Thrombin-induced platelet aggregation is mediated in part by the intracellularly activated calpain expressed onto the external side of the membrane. We have previously shown that P1, Phe-Gln-Val-Val-Cys(Npys)-Gly-NH2 [Npys = 3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl], an affinity analog corresponding to the highly conserved sequence Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly-NH2, present in domains 2 and 3 of human kininogens, was an irreversible inhibitor of platelet calpain (second-order rate constant = 5.85 mM-1 s-1). P1 also selectively blocked thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. We have now synthesized twenty-three other peptides, analogous to P1, and evaluated them to define the specificity of the amino acid sequence in P1 to selectively block thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. We find that replacement by Leu of Val and by Tyr of Phe adjacent to Gln is minimally tolerated and the resulting peptides are partially effective in selectively blocking thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. The presence of valine adjacent to cysteine in P1 is essential for the inhibitor to selectively block thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. The presence of valine adjacent to cysteine in P1 is essential for the inhibitor to selectively block thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. Extensions of the N-terminal sequence in P1 did not improve its selectivity. Ac-Ala-Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly-NH2 (Ac, acetyl), a peptide containing the conserved sequence but lacking the Npys function, neither inhibited platelet calpain nor platelet aggregation induced by thrombin. Presence of the peptide sequence and Npys function are both required in P1 for its selective action in inhibiting platelet aggregation induced by thrombin.