Platelet thrombi produced on cultured endothelial cells by the dye/light method

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Sato, Masaaki | Onohara, Masayuki | Ookawa, Keiko | Ohshima, Norio

Affiliations: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan

Abstract: Platelet adhesion and aggregation were induced on cultured endothelial cells using the fluorescent dye/light method. A cone-and-plate apparatus was newly developed to observe interactions between platelets and cultured endothelial cells under a shear flow condition. The platelet deposition grew on the light-irradiated area of the cells. Degree of endothelial cell injury induced by the dye/light reaction seemed to depend on the dye concentration. Application of either aspirin or indomethacin significantly inhibited the growth of platelet aggregation, but was not effective for the platelet adhesion to endothelial cells. The platelet thrombi were formed on endothelial cells without their denudation. It was found by transmission electron microscopy that platelets directly adhered to endothelial cells which were not seriously damaged. This thrombus model is expected to be applicable to some physiological and pharmacological studies investigating platelet-endothelial cell interaction and mechanism of platelet thrombus formation in blood vessels.

Keywords: Platelet thrombus, aggregation, cultured endothelial cell, shear flow, dye/light reaction, in vitro model

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1992-295-609

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 29, no. 5-6, pp. 489-498, 1992