The Naka isoantigen is expressed on glycoprotein (GP) IV (CD36), a platelet membrane GP that has been identified as having a role in platelet interactions with collagen and thrombospondin and in binding Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes to endothelial cells and melanoma cells. We have studied normal platelets and Naka- platelets from two Japanese donors that have 1% of GPIV by concent...

Glucose depletion of erythrocytes triggers suicidal erythrocyte death or eryptosis, which leads to cell membrane scrambling with phosphatidylserine exposure at the cell surface. Eryptotic erythrocytes adhere to endothelial cells by a mechanism involving phosphatidylserine at the erythrocyte surface and CXCL16 as well as CD36 at the endothelial cell membrane. Nothing has hitherto been known abou...

In this issue of Blood, Gramaglia et al have provided valuable data on whether platelets are protective in malaria infection by directly killing Plasmodium parasites, or deleterious by driving adverse immune responses. Platelets are the cellular mediators of thrombosis. Although this is a very important biologic role, platelets are also the most numerous circulating cell with an inflammatory an...

UNLABELLED Background- We recently reported the development of culture-derived (CD) platelets with the aim to express any protein of interest in these platelets. We now report a specific protocol of retroviral infection into the progenitor cells and subsequent selection, which allows to generate large amounts of highly homogenous transgene-expressing CD platelets and to study transgene function...

Platelets are small cellular fragments derived from megakaryocytes and circulate in the bloodstream at 250.000-400.000/μl. Platelets are responsible for hemostasis, but are also involved in thrombosis, inflammation and tissue repair. More importantly, recent evidence suggests a role for circulating platelets in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Actually, platelets express and contain high amounts of am...

Blood platelets are considered to be a peripheral marker in schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Oxidative stress in schizophrenia may be responsible for changes in platelet metabolism and function; therefore, the aim of this study was to examine and compare the generation of superoxide anions and activity of an antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase [GPx]) in blood platelets in p...

The buoyant density of human platelets is decreased after they have been aggregated and induced to secrete their granule content by thrombin. This change in density was detected by discontinuous density gradient centrifugation using arabinogalactan (Stractan) solutions. The density decrease was dependent on the thrombin concentration and paralleled the extent of serotonin and beta-thromboglobul...

Neutrophils and platelets circulate in blood system and play important physiological roles as part of immunological system. Neutrophils are the first line of host defense against various intruders, and platelets are satellite cells cooperating with other components of defense system. Recent studies report about the cooperation among these types of cells. We analyzed the effect of platelets on o...

Polymer-clay nanocomposites are more popular in many industries and applications due to improved mechanical gas barrier properties over pure polymers classical polymer-based composites. The mechanism by which clay platelets, with thicknesses the nanometer range, as opposed hundred-nanometer range other two dimensions, introduce improvement can be attributed their high efficiency creating discon...

The effects of ethanol on platelets from rabbits with two different types of hypercholesterolemia, diet-induced and genetically determined, were investigated. There were no differences between the hypercholesterolemic groups and their controls in the extent of (primary) ADP-induced aggregation of washed platelets, and this aggregation was not inhibited by ethanol. Platelets from cholesterol-fed...