Thromb Haemost 1998; 79(01): 155-161
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1614236
Review Article
Schattauer GmbH

Fibrillin Containing Elastic Microfibrils Support Platelet Adhesion under Dynamic Shear Conditions

Julia M. Ross*
1   From the Cox Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
,
Larry V. McIntire
1   From the Cox Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
,
Joel L. Moake
1   From the Cox Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
2   From the Division of Hematology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
,
Huey-Ju Kuo
3   From the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, Portland, OR, USA
,
Rui-Qing Qian
3   From the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, Portland, OR, USA
,
Robert W. Glanville
3   From the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, Portland, OR, USA
,
Elaine Schwartz
4   From the Department of Dermatology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
,
Jacob H. Rand
5   From the Hematology Division, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
› Author Affiliations

This work was supported by NIH grants HL-18672, HL-32200, NS-23327, Robert A. Welch Foundation grant C-938, and grants from the Butcher Fund and Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.
Further Information

Publication History

Received 26 September 1996

Accepted after resubmission 13 August 1997

Publication Date:
08 December 2017 (online)

Preview

Summary

The vascular subendothelium contains macromolecular structures called microfibrils. Type VI collagen is one protein found in microfibrils that supports platelet adhesion and aggregation and we have previously evaluated the roles of platelet receptors and vWf involved in these processes under physiological shear conditions. Here we investigate the ability of fibrillin containing elastic microfibrils to support mural thrombus formation. Our results show that elastic microfibril surfaces support platelet adhesion under low shear conditions at a level similar to collagen VI tetramers. However, the degree of aggregation on the elastic microfibril surface is much higher. Both adhesion and aggregation were shown to be mediated by the GPIIb-IIIa platelet receptor. Elastic microfibrils do not support the formation of mural thrombi under high shear conditions. These results suggest roles for both collagen VI and fibrillin containing elastic microfibrils in modulating the platelet response to blood vessel injury.

* Current address: Dr. Julia M. Ross, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA