Studies of Adhesion-Dependent Platelet Activation

Abstract

—The molecular differences between native-type collagen type I fibrils (NC) and their pepsinated monomers (PC) were used to uncover receptors involved in platelet-collagen interaction along the adhesion-activation axis. The platelet-depositing capacity of NC and PC under blood flow and their adhesive properties and respective morphologies, aggregation, procoagulant capacity, and tyrosine phosphorylation were compared under different cationic milieus, including or excluding the glycoprotein (GP) Ia/IIa. NC was consistently a more preferable and activating substrate than PC during flow (5 minutes) and in platelet aggregation. In PPACK-treated blood, both NC (3.3-fold) and PC (2.7-fold) increased platelet attachment on elevation of the shear rate from 500 to 1640 s⁻¹, whereas in citrated blood, adhesion and thrombus growth on PC were negligible under the high shear rate, unlike on NC (1.9-fold increase). The complete lack of platelet deposition on PC in citrated blood could be overcome by restoring physiological Mg²⁺ concentration, and in contrast to NC, platelets interacting with PC were highly dependent on Mg²⁺ during adhesion, aggregation, and procoagulant response. Monoclonal antibody (mAb 131.7) against GP IV inhibited platelet deposition to NC in citrated blood (2 minutes) by 49%, which was not further increased by coincubation with mAb against GP Ia (6F1). These results stress the importance of GP Ia/IIa in shear-resistant platelet deposition on collagen monomers. In native fibers, however, the preserved quaternary structure with telopeptides activates additional platelet receptors capable of substituting GP Ia/IIa and GP IV.