Absence of bleeding upon dual antiplatelet therapy in a patient with a immune GPVI deficiency.

Acquired deficiencies in platelet glycoprotein VI are rare and have not been found associated with other defects. Here we report the case of a 64-year old male patient presenting an immune GPVI deficiency associated to a mutation in the alpha-actinin gene and who has been treated with dual anti platelet therapy without bleeding.Introduction: Glycoprotein (GP) VI, a pluripotent receptor interacting with collagen and fibrin(ogen) is responsible for thrombus formation, growth and stability (1-4). It is co-expressed with the Fc receptor γ (FcRγ) chain (5). GPVI is not critical for haemostasis since subjects with a GPVI deficiency usually present low or even no bleeding tendency (6, 7). Acquired GPVI deficiency due to antibody-induced GPVI depletion is the most frequent finding. At least 10 patients have been described with an acquired GPVI deficiency, most often associated to immune thrombocytopenia, moderate bleeding and impaired collagen-induced platelet aggregation (7). Several mechanisms leading to the GPVI deficiency are proposed including antibody-triggered GPVI internalization and/or shedding of the extracellular domain (8, 9). We report the case of a patient presenting an acquired GPVI deficiency different from those previously described: (i) he is male whereas all previous cases were female, (ii) he is heterozygous for a mutation in α (alpha)-actinin-1 gene and (iii) he was treated with dual antiplatelet therapy with no haemorrhagic manifestation.

Impact of Itga2-Gp6-double collagen receptor deficient mice for bone marrow megakaryocytes and platelets.

The two main collagen receptors on platelets, GPVI and integrin α2ß1, play an important role for the recognition of exposed collagen at sites of vessel injury, which leads to platelet activation and subsequently stable thrombus formation. Both receptors are already expressed on megakaryocytes, the platelet forming cells within the bone marrow. Megakaryocytes are in permanent contact with collagen filaments in the marrow cavity and at the basal lamina of sinusoids without obvious preactivation. The role of both collagen receptors for megakaryocyte maturation and thrombopoiesis is still poorly understood. To investigate the function of both collagen receptors, we generated mice that are double deficient for Gp6 and Itga2. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that the deficiency of both receptors had no impact on platelet number and led to the expected lack in GPVI responsiveness. Integrin activation and degranulation ability was comparable to wildtype mice. By immunofluorescence microscopy, we could demonstrate that both wildtype and double-deficient megakaryocytes were overall normally distributed within the bone marrow. We found megakaryocyte count and size to be normal, the localization within the bone marrow, the degree of maturation, as well as their association to sinusoids were also unaltered. However, the contact of megakaryocytes to collagen type I filaments was decreased at sinusoids compared to wildtype mice, while the interaction to type IV collagen was unaffected. Our results imply that GPVI and α2ß1 have no influence on the localization of megakaryocytes within the bone marrow, their association to the sinusoids or their maturation. The decreased contact of megakaryocytes to collagen type I might at least partially explain the unaltered platelet phenotype in these mice, since proplatelet formation is mediated by these receptors and their interaction to collagen. It is rather likely that other compensatory signaling pathways and receptors play a role that needs to be elucidated.

Platelet glycoprotein VI genetic quantitative and qualitative defects.

Platelet membrane glycoprotein VI (GPVI) is increasingly recognized as an important receptor for thrombus formation and growth. Numerous arguments have been published indicating that GPVI plays a major role in thrombosis without being essential for physiological hemostasis. In humans, GPVI deficiencies are rarely reported. These are most often deficiencies occurring in the context of autoimmunity and, more rarely, genetic deficits. The purpose of this review is to compile data on the quantitative and qualitative genetic abnormalities of GPVI.

Platelet glycoprotein VI and C-type lectin-like receptor 2 deficiency accelerates wound healing by impairing vascular integrity in mice.

Platelets promote wound healing by forming a vascular plug and by secreting growth factors and cytokines. Glycoprotein (GP)VI and C-type lectin-like receptor (CLEC)-2 signal through a (hem)-immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif, which induces platelet activation. GPVI and CLEC-2 support vascular integrity during inflammation in the skin through regulation of leukocyte migration and function, and by sealing sites of vascular damage. In this study, we investigated the role of impaired vascular integrity due to GPVI and/or CLEC-2 deficiency in wound repair using a full-thickness excisional skin wound model in mice. Transgenic mice deficient in both GPVI and CLEC-2 exhibited accelerated skin wound healing, despite a marked impairment in vascular integrity. The local and temporal bleeding in the skin led to greater plasma protein entry, including fibrinogen and clotting factors, was associated with increased fibrin generation, reduction in wound neutrophils and M1 macrophages, decreased level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and enhanced angiogenesis at day 3 after injury. Accelerated wound healing was not due to developmental defects in CLEC-2 and GPVI double-deficient mice as similar results were observed in GPVI-deficient mice treated with a podoplanin-blocking antibody. The rate of wound healing was not altered in mice deficient in either GPVI or CLEC-2. Our results show that, contrary to defects in coagulation, bleeding following a loss of vascular integrity caused by platelet CLEC-2 and GPVI deficiency facilitates wound repair by increasing fibrin(ogen) deposition, reducing inflammation, and promoting angiogenesis.

How we treat the platelet glycoprotein defects; Glanzmann thrombasthenia and Bernard Soulier syndrome in children and adults.

The inherited platelet glycoprotein deficiencies, Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) and Bernard Soulier syndrome (BSS) are rare but important long-term bleeding disorders. Once diagnosed, affected patients should be referred to a specialist centre for bleeding disorders for general advice and ongoing management. Patients do not require prophylactic treatment and so the management of GT and BSS focuses around prophylactic treatment prior to high risk procedures and treatment in response to non-surgical bleeding events and, in women, the management of menorrhagia and pregnancy. There is no consistent approach to the treatment or prevention of bleeding complications. Management must be tailored for each individual and the approach may not be the same for different events, even for the same patient, depending on the type of accident or invasive procedure, the extent of bleeding and the presence or not of platelet refractoriness.

PDK1 Determines Collagen-Dependent Platelet Ca2+ Signaling and Is Critical to Development of Ischemic Stroke In Vivo.

OBJECTIVE: Activation of platelets by subendothelial collagen results in an increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) and is followed by platelet activation and thrombus formation that may lead to vascular occlusion. The present study determined the role of phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) in collagen-dependent platelet Ca(2+) signaling and ischemic stroke in vivo. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Platelet activation with collagen receptor glycoprotein VI agonists collagen-related peptide or convulxin resulted in a significant increase in PDK1 activity independent of second-wave signaling. PDK1 deficiency was associated with reduced platelet phospholipase Cγ2-dependent inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate production and intracellular [Ca(2+)]i in response to stimulation with collagen-related peptide or convulxin. The defective increase of [Ca(2+)]i resulted in a substantial defect in activation-dependent platelet secretion and aggregation on collagen-related peptide stimulation. Furthermore, Rac1 activation and spreading, adhesion to collagen, and thrombus formation under high arterial shear rates were significantly diminished in PDK1-deficient platelets. Mice with PDK1-deficient platelets were protected against arterial thrombotic occlusion after FeCl3-induced mesenteric arterioles injury and ischemic stroke in vivo. These mice had significantly reduced brain infarct volumes, with a significantly increased survival of 7 days after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion without increase of intracerebral hemorrhage. Tail bleeding time was prolonged in pdk1(-/-) mice, reflecting an important role of PDK1 in primary hemostasis. CONCLUSIONS: PDK1 is required for Ca(2+)-dependent platelet activation on stimulation of collagen receptor glycoprotein VI, arterial thrombotic occlusion, and ischemic stroke in vivo.

Platelet Activating Factor (PAF) Receptor Deletion or Antagonism Attenuates Severe HSV-1 Meningoencephalitis.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a human pathogen that may cause severe encephalitis. The exacerbated immune response against the virus contributes to the disease severity and death. Platelet activating factor (PAF) is a mediator capable of inducing increase in vascular permeability, production of cytokines on endothelial cells and leukocytes. We aimed to investigate the activation of PAF receptor (PAFR) and its contribution to the severity of the inflammatory response in the brain following HSV-1 infection. C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and PAFR deficient (PAFR-/-) mice were inoculated intracranially with 104 plaque-forming units (PFU) of HSV-1. Visualization of leukocyte recruitment was performed using intravital microscopy. Cells infiltration in the brain tissue were analyzed by flow cytometry. Brain was removed for chemokine assessment by ELISA and for histopathological analysis. The pharmacological inhibition by the PAFR antagonist UK-74,505 was also analyzed. In PAFR-/- mice, there was delayed lethality but no difference in viral load. Histopathological analysis of infected PAFR-/- mice showed that brain lesions were less severe when compared to their WT counterparts. Moreover, PAFR-/- mice showed less TCD4+, TCD8+ and macrophages in brain tissue. This reduction of the presence of leukocytes in parenchyma may be mechanistically explained by a decrease in leukocytes rolling and adhesion. PAFR-/- mice also presented a reduction of the chemokine CXCL9 in the brain. In addition, by antagonizing PAFR, survival of C57BL/6 infected mice increased. Altogether, our data suggest that PAFR plays a role in the pathogenesis of experimental HSV-1 meningoencephalitis, and its blockade prevents severe disease manifestation.

PAFR in adipose tissue macrophages is associated with anti-inflammatory phenotype and metabolic homoeostasis.

Metabolic dysfunction is associated with adipose tissue inflammation and macrophage infiltration. PAFR (platelet-activating factor receptor) is expressed in several cell types and binds to PAF (platelet-activating factor) and oxidized phospholipids. Engagement of PAFR in macrophages drives them towards the anti-inflammatory phenotype. In the present study, we investigated whether genetic deficiency of PAFR affects the phenotype of ATMs (adipose tissue macrophages) and its effect on glucose and insulin metabolism. PARFKO (PAFR-knockout) and WT (wild-type) mice were fed on an SD (standard diet) or an HFD (high-fat diet). Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed by blood monitoring. ATMs were evaluated by FACS for phenotypic markers. Gene and protein expression was investigated by real-time reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and Western blotting respectively. Results showed that the epididymal adipose tissue of PAFRKO mice had increased gene expression of Ccr7, Nos2, Il6 and Il12, associated with pro-inflammatory mediators, and reduced expression of the anti-inflammatory Il10. Moreover, the adipose tissue of PAFRKO mice presented more pro-inflammatory macrophages, characterized by an increased frequency of F4/80(+)CD11c(+) cells. Blood monocytes of PAFRKO mice also exhibited a pro-inflammatory phenotype (increased frequency of Ly6C(+) cells) and PAFR ligands were detected in the serum of both PAFRKO and WT mice. Regarding metabolic parameters, compared with WT, PAFRKO mice had: (i) higher weight gain and serum glucose concentration levels; (ii) decreased insulin-stimulated glucose disappearance; (iii) insulin resistance in the liver; (iv) increased expression of Ldlr in the liver. In mice fed on an HFD, some of these changes were potentiated, particularly in the liver. Thus it seems that endogenous ligands of PAFR are responsible for maintaining the anti-inflammatory profile of blood monocytes and ATMs under physiological conditions. In the absence of PAFR signalling, monocytes and macrophages acquire a pro-inflammatory phenotype, resulting in adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.

Attenuated Reactive Gliosis and Enhanced Functional Recovery Following Spinal Cord Injury in Null Mutant Mice of Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a unique phosphoglycerine that mediates the biological functions of both immune and nervous systems. Excessive PAF plays an important role in neural injury via its specific receptor (PAFR). In this study, we hypothesized that PAF signaling activates reactive gliosis after spinal cord injury (SCI), and blocking the PAF pathway would modify the glia scar formation and promote functional recovery. PAF microinjected into the normal wild-type spinal cord induced a dose-dependent activation of microglia and astrocytes. In the SCI mice, PAFR null mutant mice showed a better functional recovery in grip and rotarod performances than wild-type mice. Although both microglia and astrocytes were activated after SCI in wild-type and PAFR null mutant mice, expressions of IL-6, vimentin, nestin, and GFAP were not significantly elevated in PAFR null mutants. Disruption of PAF signaling inhibited the expressions of proteoglycan CS56 and neurocan (CSPG3). Intriguingly, compared to the wild-type SCI mice, less axonal retraction/dieback at 7 dpi but more NFH-labeled axons at 28 dpi was found in the area adjacent to the epicenter in PAFR null mutant SCI mice. Moreover, treatment with PAFR antagonist Ginkgolide B (GB) at the chronic phase rather than acute phase enhanced the functional recovery in the wild-type SCI mice. These findings suggest that PAF signaling participates in reactive gliosis after SCI, and blocking of this signaling enhances functional recovery and to some extent may promote axon regrowth.

Bacterial exploitation of phosphorylcholine mimicry suppresses inflammation to promote airway infection.

Regulation of neutrophil activity is critical for immune evasion among extracellular pathogens, yet the mechanisms by which many bacteria disrupt phagocyte function remain unclear. Here, we have shown that the respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae disables neutrophils by exploiting molecular mimicry to degrade platelet-activating factor (PAF), a host-derived inflammatory phospholipid. Using mass spectrometry and murine upper airway infection models, we demonstrated that phosphorylcholine (ChoP) moieties that are shared by PAF and the bacterial cell wall allow S. pneumoniae to leverage a ChoP-remodeling enzyme (Pce) to remove PAF from the airway. S. pneumoniae-mediated PAF deprivation impaired viability, activation, and bactericidal capacity among responding neutrophils. In the absence of Pce, neutrophils rapidly cleared S. pneumoniae from the airway and impeded invasive disease and transmission between mice. Abrogation of PAF signaling rendered Pce dispensable for S. pneumoniae persistence, reinforcing that this enzyme deprives neutrophils of essential PAF-mediated stimulation. Accordingly, exogenous activation of neutrophils overwhelmed Pce-mediated phagocyte disruption. Haemophilus influenzae also uses an enzyme, GlpQ, to hydrolyze ChoP and subvert PAF function, suggesting that mimicry-driven immune evasion is a common paradigm among respiratory pathogens. These results identify a mechanism by which shared molecular structures enable microbial enzymes to subvert host lipid signaling, suppress inflammation, and ensure bacterial persistence at the mucosa.

Fibrillar cellular fibronectin supports efficient platelet aggregation and procoagulant activity.

The ability of cellular fibronectin, found in the vessel wall in a fibrillar conformation, to regulate platelet functions and trigger thrombus formation remains largely unknown. In this study, we evaluated how parietal cellular fibronectin can modulate platelet responses under flow conditions. A fibrillar network was formed by mechanically stretching immobilised dimeric cellular fibronectin. Perfusion of anticoagulated whole blood over this surface resulted in efficient platelet adhesion and thrombus growth. The initial steps of platelet adhesion and activation, as evidenced by filopodia extension and an increase in intracellular calcium levels (419 ± 29 nmol/l), were dependent on integrins α5ß1 and αIIbß3. Subsequent thrombus growth was mediated by these integrins together with the GPIb-V-IX complex, GPVI and Toll-like receptor 4. The involvement of Toll-like receptor 4 could be conveyed via its binding to the EDA region of cellular fibronectin. Upon thrombus formation, the platelets became procoagulant and generated fibrin as revealed by video-microscopy. This work provides evidence that fibrillar cellular fibronectin is a strong thrombogenic surface which supports efficient platelet adhesion, activation, aggregation and procoagulant activity through the interplay of a series of receptors including integrins α5ß1 and αIIbß3, the GPIb-V-IX complex, GPVI and Toll-like receptor 4.

Platelet-activating factor receptor contributes to antileishmanial function of miltefosine.

Miltefosine [hexadecylphosphocholine (HPC)] is the only orally bioavailable drug for the disease visceral leishmaniasis, which is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. Although miltefosine has direct leishmanicidal effects, evidence is mounting for its immune system-dependent effects. The mechanism of such indirect antileishmanial effects of miltefosine remains to be discovered. As platelet-activating factor and HPC share structural semblances and both induce killing of intracellular Leishmania, we surmised that platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor had a significant role in the antileishmanial function of miltefosine. The proposition was supported by molecular dynamic simulation of HPC docking into PAF receptor and by comparison of its leishmanicidal function on PAF receptor-deficient macrophages and mice under HPC treatment. We observed that compared with wild-type macrophages, the PAF receptor-deficient macrophages showed 1) reduced binding of a fluorescent analog of HPC, 2) decreased TNF-α production, and 3) lower miltefosine-induced killing of L. donovani. Miltefosine exhibited significantly compromised leishmanicidal function in PAF receptor-deficient mice. An anti-PAF receptor Ab led to a significant decrease in miltefosine-induced intracellular Leishmania killing and IFN-γ production in a macrophage-T cell coculture system. These results indicate significant roles for PAF receptor in the leishmanicidal activity of HPC. The findings open new avenues for a more rational understanding of the mechanism of action of this drug as well as for improved therapeutic strategies.

Platelet glycoprotein VI binds to polymerized fibrin and promotes thrombin generation.

Fibrin, the coagulation end product, consolidates the platelet plug at sites of vascular injury and supports the recruitment of circulating platelets. In addition to integrin αIIbß3, another as-yet-unidentified receptor is thought to mediate platelet interaction with fibrin. Platelet glycoprotein VI (GPVI) interacts with collagen and several other adhesive macromolecules. We evaluated the hypothesis that GPVI could be a functional platelet receptor for fibrin. Calibrated thrombin assays using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) showed that tissue factor-triggered thrombin generation was impaired in GPVI-deficient patients and reduced by the anti-GPVI Fab 9O12. Assays on reconstituted PRP and PRP from fibrinogen-deficient patients revealed a fibrinogen-dependent enhancement of thrombin generation, which relied on functional GPVI. The effect of GPVI was found to depend on fibrin polymerization. A binding assay showed a specific interaction between GPVI-Fc and fibrin, inhibited by the Fab 9O12. This Fab also reduced platelet adhesion to fibrin at low (300 s(-1)) and high (1500 s(-1)) wall shear rates. Platelets adherent to fibrin displayed shape change, exposure of procoagulant phospholipids, and the formation of small clots. When hirudinated blood was perfused at 1500 s(-1) over preformed fibrin-rich clots, the Fab 9O12 decreased the recruitment of platelets by up to 85%. This study identifies GPVI as a platelet receptor for polymerized fibrin with 2 major functions: (1) amplification of thrombin generation and (2) recruitment of circulating platelets to clots. These so-far-unrecognized properties of GPVI confer on it a key role in thrombus growth and stabilization.

A platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor deficiency exacerbates diet-induced obesity but PAF/PAF receptor signaling does not contribute to the development of obesity-induced chronic inflammation.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a well-known phospholipid that mediates acute inflammatory responses. In the present study, we investigated whether PAF/PAF receptor signaling contributed to chronic inflammation in the white adipose tissue (WAT) of PAF receptor-knockout (PAFR-KO) mice. Body and epididymal WAT weights were higher in PAFR-KO mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) than in wild-type (WT) mice. TNF-α mRNA expression levels in epididymal WAT and the infiltration of CD11c-positive macrophages into epididymal WAT, which led to chronic inflammation, were also elevated in HFD-fed PAFR-KO mice. HFD-fed PAFR-KO mice had higher levels of fasting serum glucose than HFD-fed WT mice as well as impaired glucose tolerance. Although PAF receptor signaling up-regulated the expression of TNF-α and lipopolysaccharide induced the expression of acyl-CoA:lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 2 (LPCAT2) mRNA in bone marrow-derived macrophages, no significant differences were observed in the expression of LPCAT2 mRNA and PAF levels in epididymal WAT between HFD-fed mice and normal diet-fed mice. In addition to our previous finding in which energy expenditure in PAF receptor (PAFR)-deficient mice was low due to impaired brown adipose tissue function, the present study demonstrated that PAF/PAF receptor signaling up-regulated the expression of Ucp1 mRNA, which is essential for cellular thermogenesis, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We concluded that the marked accumulation of abdominal fat due to HFD feeding led to more severe chronic inflammation in WAT, which is associated with glucose metabolism disorders, in PAFR-KO mice than in WT mice, and PAF/PAF receptor signaling may regulate energy expenditure and adiposity.

Redundancy and interaction of thrombin- and collagen-mediated platelet activation in tail bleeding and carotid thrombosis in mice.

OBJECTIVE: Current antiplatelet strategies to prevent myocardial infarction and stroke are limited by bleeding risk. A better understanding of the roles of distinct platelet-activating pathways is needed. We determined whether platelet activation by 2 key primary activators, thrombin and collagen, plays distinct, redundant, or interacting roles in tail bleeding and carotid thrombosis in mice. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Platelets from mice deficient for the thrombin receptor protease-activated receptor-4 (Par4) and the collagen receptor glycoprotein VI protein (GPVI) lack responses to thrombin and collagen, respectively. We examined tail bleeding and FeCl3-induced carotid artery occlusion in mice lacking Par4, GPVI, or both. We also examined a series of Par mutants with increasing impairment of thrombin signaling in platelets. Ablation of thrombin signaling alone by Par4 deficiency increased blood loss in the tail bleeding assay and impaired occlusive thrombus formation in the carotid occlusion assay. GPVI deficiency alone had no effect. Superimposing GPVI deficiency on Par4 deficiency markedly increased effect size in both assays. In contrast to complete ablation of thrombin signaling, 9- and 19-fold increases in EC50 for thrombin-induced platelet activation had only modest effects. CONCLUSIONS: The observation that loss of Par4 uncovered large effects of GPVI deficiency implies that Par4 and GPVI made independent, partially redundant contributions to occlusive thrombus formation in the carotid and to hemostatic clot formation in the tail under the experimental conditions examined. At face value, these results suggest that thrombin- and collagen-induced platelet activation can play partially redundant roles, despite important differences in how these agonists are made available to platelets.

Antiobese function of platelet-activating factor: increased adiposity in platelet-activating factor receptor-deficient mice with age.

Platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR)-deficient mice developed a more severe obese state characterized by higher body mass (~25%) and epididymal fat mass (~55%) with age than that of wild-type (WT) littermates. PAFR-deficient mice did not show changes in the expression of critical genes involved in anabolic and catabolic metabolism in adipose, liver, and muscle tissues between 6 and 36 wk. However, a 38-81% reduction in ß3/ß1-adrenergic receptor (AR) and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) mRNA and protein levels was observed in the interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) of PAFR-deficient mice. Whereas a single injection of the ß3-adrenergic agonist, CL-316,243 (25 µg/kg) increased temperatures in the brown fat and rectums of WT mice, this increase in temperature was markedly suppressed in PAFR-deficient mice. Acetyl-CoA:lyso-platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetyltransferase, which is involved in PAF biosynthesis, and the PAF receptor were predominantly localized in BAT macrophages, whereas brown adipocytes possessed the enzyme and functional PAF receptors. The stimulation of brown adipocytes by PAF induced the expression of ß3-AR mRNA and protein (1.5- and 1.9-fold, respectively), but not that of UCP1. These results indicate that obesity in PAFR-deficient mice resulted from impaired BAT activity and suggest that the antiobese function of PAF occurs through ß3-AR/UCP1 expression in BAT.

Lack of platelet-activating factor receptor protects mice against diet-induced adipose inflammation and insulin-resistance despite fat pad expansion.

OBJECTIVE: The role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on diet-induced inflammatory and metabolic dysfunction is unknown. The effects of diet-induced metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction in mice with deletion of the PAF receptor (PAFR(-/-) ) were evaluated in this study. METHODS: Wild-type and PAFR(-/-) mice were fed chow (WT-C and PAFR(-/-) -C) or high-refined carbohydrate-containing diet (WT-HC and PAFR(-/-) -HC). PAFR(-/-) - RESULTS: HC mice gained more weight and adiposity than PAFR(-/-) -C and WT-HC mice. Lipogenesis increased and hormone-sensitive lipase expression decreased in PAFR(-/-) -HC compared to WT-HC mice. WT-HC mice had impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity compared to WT-C mice. In contrast, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in PAFR(-/-) -HC mice were similar to that of lean littermates. PAFR(-/-) -HC mice expressed significantly more peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor gamma (PPARγ) than PAFR(-/-) -C and WT-C mice. Resistin increased in WT-HC mice compared to WT-C mice. However, the levels of resistin were 35% lower in PAFR(-/-) -HC mice than WT-HC mice. PAFR(-/-) presented with less HC diet-induced adipose tissue inflammation than WT mice. Adipocytes isolated from PAFR(-/-) mice incubated in media containing normal or high levels of glucose secreted less interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha and presented lower rate of lipolysis than WT mice. CONCLUSION: PAFR deficiency resulted in less inflammation in adipose tissue and improvement in glucose homeostasis when fed the HC diet. The higher adiposity observed in PAFR(-/-) mice fed HC diet could be owing to the maintenance of insulin sensitivity, decreased adipocyte lipolysis rate, high lipogenesis and PPARγ expression, and lower inflammatory milieu in adipose tissue.

Platelet-activating factor receptor blockade ameliorates Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-induced periodontal disease in mice.

Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic inflammatory and alveolar bone destructive disease triggered by oral biofilm-producing microorganisms, such as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. The levels of the phospholipid platelet-activating factor (PAF) in the saliva, gingival crevicular fluid, and periodontal tissues are significantly increased during inflammatory conditions, such as PD, but the exact mechanism that links PAF to alveolar bone resorption is not well understood. In the current study, alveolar bone resorption was induced by experimental PD through the oral inoculation of A. actinomycetemcomitans in wild-type (WT) and PAF receptor knockout (Pafr(-/-)) mice. In vitro experiments using A. actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells treated with a PAF receptor antagonist (UK74505) were also performed. The expression of lyso-PAF acetyltransferase in periodontal tissues was significantly increased 3 h after A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS injection in mice. WT and Pafr(-/-) mice that were subjected to oral inoculation of A. actinomycetemcomitans presented neutrophil accumulation and increased levels of CXCL-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in periodontal tissues. However, Pafr(-/-) mice presented less alveolar bone loss than WT mice. The in vitro blockade of the PAF receptor impaired the resorptive activity of A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS-activated osteoclasts. In conclusion, this study shows for the first time that the blockade of PAF receptor may contribute to the progression of PD triggered by A. actinomycetemcomitans by directly affecting the differentiation and activity of osteoclasts.

The role of platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) in lung pathology during experimental malaria.

Malaria-associated lung pathology has been a neglected area in the study of malaria complications. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is an inflammatory mediator involved in lung inflammation. Using mice lacking the PAF receptor (PAFR(-/-)) we investigated the relevance of signaling through the PAFR for the lung inflammatory process triggered by Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) strain infection. In PAFR(-/-) mice, pulmonary inflammation was markedly reduced as demonstrated by histology, production of certain pro-inflammatory mediators, accumulation of macrophage and CD8+ T cells in the lung parenchyma and the virtual absence of changes in vascular permeability. Therefore, PAFR activation is crucial in the pathogenesis of pulmonary damage associated with PbA infection in C57Bl/6 mice.

Platelet-activating factor does not mediate UVB-induced local immune suppression.

The lipid mediator Platelet-activating factor (PAF) and oxidized glycerophosphocholine PAF agonists produced by UVB have been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in UVB-mediated systemic immunosuppression. Importantly, employing the ability of distant UVB irradiation to inhibit contact hypersensitivity (CHS) responses to the chemical antigen dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to an area of unirradiated murine skin, we and others have demonstrated that UVB-mediated systemic immunosuppression was only observed in PAF-R expressing wild type (WT) mice and not in PAF-R-knockout (Pafr-/-) mice. As it is not known if PAF is involved in UVB-mediated local immunosuppression, these studies compared local UVB on CHS responses in WT versus Pafr-/- mice. We demonstrate that the application of DNFB onto UVB-exposed (locally) area of mouse skin resulted in a similar significant inhibition of subsequent CHS responses in both WT and Pafr-/- mice compared to sham-irradiated control mice. Furthermore, the expression of langerin, a marker for the presence of Langerhans cells was substantially reduced equally in the epidermal ears of UVB-irradiated WT and Pafr-/- mice compared to their respective sham control groups. These findings indicate that the PAF-R is not involved UVB-induced local immunosuppression.