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Rac1 is essential for platelet lamellipodia formation and aggregate stability under flow.

ABSTRACT: The role of Rac family proteins in platelet spreading on matrix proteins under static and flow conditions has been investigated by using Rac-deficient platelets. Murine platelets form filopodia and undergo limited spreading on fibrinogen independent of Rac1 and Rac2. In the presence of thrombin, marked lamellipodia formation is observed on fibrinogen, which is abrogated in the absence of Rac1. However, Rac1 is not required for thrombin-induced aggregation or elevation of F-actin levels. Formation of lamellipodia on collagen and laminin is also Rac1-dependent. Analysis of platelet adhesion dynamics on collagen under flow conditions in vitro revealed that Rac1 is required for platelet aggregate stability at arterial rates of shear, as evidenced by a dramatic increase in platelet embolization. Furthermore, studies employing intravital microscopy demonstrated that Rac1 plays a critical role in the development of stable thrombi at sites of vascular injury in vivo. Thus, our data demonstrated that Rac1 is essential for lamellipodia formation in platelets and indicated that Rac1 is required for aggregate integrity leading to thrombus formation under physiologically relevant levels of shear both in vitro and in vivo.

SUBMITTER: McCarty OJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1395485 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Rac1 is essential for platelet lamellipodia formation and aggregate stability under flow.

McCarty Owen J T OJ Larson Mark K MK Auger Jocelyn M JM Kalia Neena N Atkinson Ben T BT Pearce Andrew C AC Ruf Sandra S Henderson Robert B RB Tybulewicz Victor L J VL Machesky Laura M LM Watson Steve P SP

The Journal of biological chemistry 20050929 47

The role of Rac family proteins in platelet spreading on matrix proteins under static and flow conditions has been investigated by using Rac-deficient platelets. Murine platelets form filopodia and undergo limited spreading on fibrinogen independent of Rac1 and Rac2. In the presence of thrombin, marked lamellipodia formation is observed on fibrinogen, which is abrogated in the absence of Rac1. However, Rac1 is not required for thrombin-induced aggregation or elevation of F-actin levels. Formatio ...[more]

PMID: 16195235

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Project description:BackgroundThe endocannabinoid system has previously been implicated in the regulation of neurons and inflammatory cells. Additionally, it has been reported that endocannabinoid receptors are present on circulating platelets, but there has been conflicting evidence on their contribution to platelet function.ObjectivesOur aim was to examine the role of endocannabinoids in platelet function in vitro and in vivo.Methods and resultsWe studied the effects of the well-characterized endogenous endocannabinoid anandamide on platelet aggregation in suspension, ?-granule release, calcium mobilization, Syk phosphorylation, as well as platelet spreading and aggregate formation under flow. Anandamide inhibits platelet aggregation and ?-granule release by collagen, collagen-derived peptide CRP-XL, ADP, arachidonic acid and thromboxane A2 analogue U46619. However, activation via thrombin receptor PAR-1 stays largely unaffected. Calcium mobilization is significantly impaired when platelets are stimulated with collagen or CRP-XL, but remains normal in the presence of the other agonists. In line with this finding, we found that anandamide prevents collagen-induced Syk phosphorylation. Furthermore, anandamide-treated platelets exhibit reduced spreading on immobilized fibrinogen, have a decreased capacity for binding fibrinogen in solution and show perturbed platelet aggregate formation under flow over collagen. Finally, we investigated the influence of Cannabis sativa consumption by human volunteers on platelet activation. Similar to our in vitro findings with anandamide, ex vivo collagen-induced platelet aggregation and aggregate formation on immobilized collagen under flow were impaired in whole blood of donors that had consumed Cannabis sativa.ConclusionsEndocannabinoid receptor agonists reduce platelet activation and aggregate formation both in vitro and ex vivo after Cannabis sativa consumption. Further elucidation of this novel regulatory mechanism for platelet function may prove beneficial in the search for new antithrombotic therapies.

Dataset Information

Rac1 is essential for platelet lamellipodia formation and aggregate stability under flow.

Publications

Rac1 is essential for platelet lamellipodia formation and aggregate stability under flow.

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