title: Salivary gland extracts from the deerfly contain a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation.
abstract: Salivary gland extracts of the deerfly contain a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation, which assists the insect in obtaining a blood meal. The extract prevents platelet aggregation induced by ADP, thrombin, and collagen and inhibits fibrinogen binding to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor on platelets. The active component in deerfly salivary gland extract appears to be a protein that is comparatively more potent than the disintegrins present in viper venoms. Isolation and characterization of this protein may provide different directions in therapeutics and studies of normal platelet physiology.
authors.affiliation: Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown 02129.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Grevelink
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loscalzo
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lerner
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001081:Apyrase / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002469:Cell Separation; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000097:blood; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004175:Diptera; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D005340:Fibrinogen; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D001081:Apyrase; D006152:Cyclic GMP