title: Synergism between thrombin and adrenaline (epinephrine) in human platelets. Marked potentiation of inositol phospholipid metabolism.
abstract: We have studied synergism between adrenaline (epinephrine) and low concentrations of thrombin in gel-filtered human platelets prelabelled with [32P]Pi. Suspensions of platelets, which did not contain added fibrinogen, were incubated at 37 degrees C to measure changes in the levels of 32P-labelled phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidate (PA), aggregation and dense-granule secretion after stimulation. Adrenaline alone (3.5-4.0 microM) did not cause a change in any parameter (phosphoinositide metabolism, aggregation and dense-granule secretion), but markedly enhanced the thrombin-induced responses over a narrow range of thrombin concentrations (0.03-0.08 units/ml). The thrombin-induced hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids by phospholipase C, which was measured as the formation of [32P]PA, was potentiated by adrenaline, as was the increase in the levels of [32P]PIP2 and [32P]PIP. The presence of adrenaline caused a shift to the left for the thrombin-induced changes in the phosphoinositide metabolism, without affecting the maximal levels of 32P-labelled compounds obtained. A similar shift by adrenaline in the dose-response relationship was previously demonstrated for thrombin-induced aggregation and dense-granule secretion. Also, the narrow range of concentrations of thrombin over which adrenaline potentiates thrombin-induced platelet responses is the same for changes in phosphoinositide metabolism and physiological responses (aggregation and dense-granule secretion). Our observations clearly indicate that adrenaline directly or indirectly influences thrombin-induced changes in phosphoinositide metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Steen
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Tysnes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holmsen
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids / Q000097:blood; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; D018129:Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000097:blood*; D010761:Phosphorus Radioisotopes; D013917:Thrombin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010712:Phosphatidic Acids; D019269:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; D018129:Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D010761:Phosphorus Radioisotopes; C037178:phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate; D013917:Thrombin; D004837:Epinephrine