Determination of the Density Distribution of Human Platelets - Methodological Aspects and Comparison with Other Tests for Platelet Activation

1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (03) ◽  
pp. 239-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
B A van Oost ◽  
I H van Hien-Hagg ◽  
B F E Veldhuyzen ◽  
A P M Timmermans ◽  
J J Sixma

SummaryStimulation of human platelets to release results in decreased buoyant density. This decreased density provides a tool to detect circulating platelets which have participated in a thrombotic process. Platelet density gradient centrifugation using Stractan was standardized and the effects of anticoagulation, temperature, and osmolarity were investigated. In 7 out of 32 patients with thrombotic disease less dense platelets were found. Platelet activation in the patient group was also indicated by spontaneous aggregation (10/32), decreased circulating platelet aggregate ratios (5/24) and elevated plasma β-thromboglobulin levels (2/11). Several of these tests were also abnormal in diabetes mellitus thrombocytosis, leukaemia and several systemic diseases with thrombotic complications. The platelet density test using Stractan is reproducible and independent of other tests for platelet activation and is therefore potentially a useful extension of platelet function testing in patients with thrombotic disease.

1978 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1227-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Hitchins

The effect of chromosome age on segregation during sporulation was investigated. Vegetative cells of Bacillus megaterium were labeled with [Me-3H]thymine and then were grown at 30 °C in nonradioactive medium for various times before being allowed to sporulate. The ratio of the amount of label in sporal DNA to that in sporangial DNA, obtained after minor correction for the sporulation frequency, remained essentially constant as the postlabeling growth period was increased from one to seven generations. The spores were preferentially located at the older poles of sporangia, i.e. the poles formed by divisions occurring prior to those forming the sporangia. Therefore, it seems that old (labeled) chromosomes segregate randomly with respect to both the morphological and genealogical polarities of sporangia. Examination of total cell lysates by dye–buoyant density gradient centrifugation revealed the presence of covalently closed circular DNA from cells grown at 37 °C, but none was obtained from cells grown at 30 °C. Thus, possible interference by large amounts of extrachromosomal DNA in the determination of the chromosomal segregation pattern is unlikely.


Blood ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 433-438
Author(s):  
B van Oost ◽  
IH van Hien-Hagg ◽  
AP Timmermans ◽  
JJ Sixma

The buoyant density of human platelets is decreased after they have been aggregated and induced to secrete their granule content by thrombin. This change in density was detected by discontinuous density gradient centrifugation using arabinogalactan (Stractan) solutions. The density decrease was dependent on the thrombin concentration and paralleled the extent of serotonin and beta-thromboglobulin secretion. The degranulated platelets maintained their integrity, and many of their functional properties. Mixtures of degranulated platelets and normal platelets could be resolved by Stractan gradient centrifugation and the number of degranulated platelets quantitated. Using this method, increased levels of less dense platelets were shown to occur after cardiopulmonary bypass. Assay of changes in platelet density by Stractan gradient centrifugation is a useful method for detection of activated platelets in vitro and in vivo.


Blood ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 433-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
B van Oost ◽  
IH van Hien-Hagg ◽  
AP Timmermans ◽  
JJ Sixma

Abstract The buoyant density of human platelets is decreased after they have been aggregated and induced to secrete their granule content by thrombin. This change in density was detected by discontinuous density gradient centrifugation using arabinogalactan (Stractan) solutions. The density decrease was dependent on the thrombin concentration and paralleled the extent of serotonin and beta-thromboglobulin secretion. The degranulated platelets maintained their integrity, and many of their functional properties. Mixtures of degranulated platelets and normal platelets could be resolved by Stractan gradient centrifugation and the number of degranulated platelets quantitated. Using this method, increased levels of less dense platelets were shown to occur after cardiopulmonary bypass. Assay of changes in platelet density by Stractan gradient centrifugation is a useful method for detection of activated platelets in vitro and in vivo.


1976 ◽  
Vol 36 (02) ◽  
pp. 411-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Lekas ◽  
J. C Rosenberg

SummaryHuman platelets labeled with 51Cr were used to determine the contribution made by platelet lysis to the platelet release reaction and platelet aggregation induced by rabbit antihuman platelet serum (APS) and equine antihuman thymocyte globulin (ATG). Platelets were tested in both plasma (PRP) and non-plasma containing media. Antibodies directed against platelets, either as APS or ATG, induced significant amounts of platelet release and aggregation, as well as some degree of lysis, in the absence of complement. The presence of complement increased platelet lysis and aggregation, but not the release reaction. Non-immune horse gamma globulin produced different responses depending upon whether platelets were investigated in PRP or non-plasma containing media. Aggregation was seen in the latter but not the former. These differences can be explained by the presence of plasma components which prevent non-specific immune complexes from causing platelet aggregation. Since platelets in vivo are always in a plasma medium, one must be wary of utilizing data from platelet studies in synthetic plasma-free media as the basis of explaining clinical events. These observations demonstrate at least two, and possibly three, different mechanisms whereby ATG could activate platelets causing thrombotic complications and thrombocytopenia, i.e., via 1) specific and, 2) non-specific non-lytic pathways and 3) a lytic pathway.


1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Yamamoto ◽  
K Watanabe ◽  
Y Ando ◽  
H Iri ◽  
N Fujiyama ◽  
...  

It has been suggested that heparin caused potentiation of aggregation induced by ADP or epinephrine. The exact mechanism of heparin-induced platelet activation, however, remained unknown. In this paper, we have investigated the role of anti-thrombin III ( AT ) in heparin-induced platelet activation using purified AT and AT depleted plasma. When ADP or epinephrine was added to citrated PRP one minute after addition of heparin ( 1 u/ml, porcine intestinal mucosal heparin, Sigma Co. USA ), marked enhancement of platelet aggregation was observed, compared with the degree of aggregation in the absence of heparin. However, in platelet suspensions prepared in modified Tyrode’s solution, heparin exhibited no potentiating effect on platelet aggregation induced by epinephrine or ADP. Potentiation of epinephrine- or ADP-induced platelet aggregation by heparin was demonstrated when purified AT was added to platelet suspensions at a concentration of 20 μg/ml. AT depleted plasma, which was prepared by immunosorption using matrix-bound antibodies to AT, retained no AT, while determination of α1-antitrypsinα2- macroglobulin and fibrinogen in AT depleted plasma produced values which corresponded to those of the original plasma when dilution factor was taken into account. The activities of coagulation factors were also comparable to those of the original plasma. Heparin exhibited potentiating effect on ADP- or epinephrine-induced aggregation of platelets in original plasma, but no effect in AT depleted plasma. When purified AT was added back to AT depleted plasma at a concentration of 20 μg/ml, potentiation of platelet aggregation by heparin was clearly demonstrated.Our results suggest that effect of heparin on platelet aggregation is also mediated by anti-thrombin III.


1986 ◽  
Vol 55 (02) ◽  
pp. 268-270
Author(s):  
R J Alexander

SummaryAn attempt was made to isolate from plasma the platelet surface substrate for thrombin, glycoprotein V (GPV), because a GPV antigen was reported to be present in plasma (3). Plasma fractionation based on procedures for purification of GPV from platelets revealed a thrombin-sensitive protein with appropriate electrophoretic mobility. The protein was purified; an antiserum against it i) reacted with detergent-solubilized platelet proteins or secreted proteins in a double diffusion assay, ii) adsorbed a protein from the supernatant solution of activated platelets, and iii) inhibited thrombin-induced platelet activation, but the antiserum did not adsorb labeled GPV. The purified protein was immunochemically related to prothrombin rather than to GPV. Other antibodies against prothrombin were also able to adsorb a protein from platelets. It is concluded that 1) plasma does not contain appreciable amounts of GPV, and 2) platelets contain prothrombin or an immunochemically similar protein.


1974 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. V. Nayudu ◽  
Fraser B. Hercus

Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and Bio-Gel P-300 molecular-sieve chromatography of mouse duodenal alkaline phosphatase demonstrates its molecular heterogeneity, which, in a kinetic sense, is manifest also in the differential relative velocities of the heterogeneous forms of the enzyme with two substrates, phenylphosphate and β-glycerophosphate. Different treatments that eliminate most of the electrophoretic and chromatographic variability of the enzyme also decrease the velocities with both substrates so that the molar ratio of hydrolysis of one substrate relative to the other is also altered to a low but stable value. Concomitant with these changes, lipids and peptides are dissociated from the enzyme. The lipids are tentatively identified as a sterol and phospholipids. The peptides have an average composition of four to six amino acids and appear to be strongly electropositive. The conditions of dissociation suggest that their binding to the enzyme is non-covalent and predominantly based on hydrophobic and ionic bonding. The concept of lipid and peptide association would suggest prima facie differential molecular weights as a factor in the observed electrophoretic and chromatographic heterogeneity. However, the molecular forms of the enzyme with differences in elution volume equivalent to more than one-half the void volume of the Bio-Gel P-300 column, or even enzyme fractions dissociated from the lipids and peptides compared with undissociated portions, do not show any differences in sedimentation on sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. This may be because the alterations in molecular weight owing to binding of small molecules are too small to be detected by this method. Alternatively, since lipids are involved, the binding may alter the partial specific volume in such a way that the buoyant density is not significantly altered.


1996 ◽  
Vol 319 (3) ◽  
pp. 887-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward T PARKIN ◽  
Anthony J TURNER ◽  
Nigel M HOOPER

The Triton-insoluble complex from porcine lung membranes has been separated into two distinct subfractions visible as discrete light-scattering bands following buoyant density-gradient centrifugation in sucrose. Both of these detergent-insoluble complexes were enriched in the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored ectoenzymes alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase P and 5´-nucleotidase, and both complexes excluded the polypeptide-anchored ectoenzymes angiotensin-converting enzyme, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and aminopeptidases A and N. The GPI-anchored proteins in both complexes were susceptible to release by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Both complexes were also enriched in cholesterol and glycosphingolipids, and in caveolin/VIP21, although only the higher-density fraction was enriched in the plasmalemmal caveolar marker proteins Ca2+-ATPase and the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor. Among the annexin family of proteins, annexins I and IV were absent from the two detergent-insoluble complexes, annexin V was present in both, and annexins II and VI were only enriched in the higher-density fraction. When the metal chelator EGTA was present in the isolation buffers, annexins II and VI dissociated from the higher-density detergent-insoluble complex and only a single light-scattering band was observed on the sucrose gradient, at the same position as for the lower-density complex. In contrast, in the presence of excess calcium only a single detergent-insoluble complex was isolated from the sucrose gradients, at an intermediate density. Thus the detergent-insoluble membrane complex can be subfractionated on the basis of what appears to be calcium-dependent, annexin-mediated, vesicle aggregation into two distinct populations, only one of which is enriched in plasmalemmal caveolar marker proteins.


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