sticky problem. Platelets (small spheres) maintain an arterial wall.
, the tiny disc-shaped platelets floating in the veins of the help blood clot, protect against excessive blood loss after injury. But new evidence shows that these cells have a darker side too. Researchers studying mice have shown that some are sticky platelets than normal can contribute to clogged arteries, which can lead to serious health problems.
atherosclerosis, or clogging of the arteries, is a major contributor to heart disease. The disease develops as white blood cells called monocytes cells attach to the walls of blood vessels, then the inventory to create fat deposits resembling hardened cottage cheese. Enough of this "plate" may reduce or block blood flow. Platelets are known to bind to monocytes, the doctors suspected a role in arterial disease. And in fact, inhibiting platelet drugs such as aspirin may help prevent blood clots in narrowed arteries. But he does not know if platelets contribute to arterial disease in the first place or just exacerbate the disease once it develops.
molecular physiologist Klaus Ley University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and his team studied activated platelets, hoping to find an answer. Activated platelets are revved beyond the resting state, but not yet committed to the formation of blood clots. For 12 weeks, the team injected platelet both resting and activated in mouse designed to be susceptible to atherosclerosis. They found that activated platelets express a molecular adhesive called P-selectin which attaches briefly arterial walls. This contact with the walls buffered with a chemokine residue, chemicals which attract monocytes. The mice injected with activated platelets developed plaque deposits that were 39% larger than those of mice injected with platelets rest online reporting team on December 16 in Nature Medicine . Mice can not produce P-selectin was not affected by injection of activated platelets.
Calling the study "stylish and exceptionally deep," cardiologist Anthony Rosenzweig of the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Charlestown said the next step will be to confirm that the platelet induce atherosclerosis in humans. Hematologist Zaverio Ruggeri from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, said the findings could point to useful treatments that could prevent or slow the progression of atherosclerosis.
Related Sites
Klaus Ley website
Zaverio the site Ruggeri
Anthony Rosenzweig's website
basic information on atherosclerosis of American Heart Association
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