Inhibition of prostaglandin E1-responsive platelet adenylate cyclase by heparin: a study of the mechanism of inhibition and its relevance to platelet aggregation.

1 Heparin can produce platelet aggregation in vitro and in vivo; it has been proposed that this may be due to the reported inhibition of the prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1))-stimulated adenylate cyclase of the platelet by heparin.2 The effect of heparin on the cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) response to PGE(1) was measured in intact and broken platelets both in vitro and in platelets obtained from normal subjects during intravenous infusion with herapin.3 In platelet lysates, heparin produced a dose-related inhibition of PGE(1)-stimulated adenylate cyclase. The maximum response to PGE(1) was reduced, with half-maximal inhibition occurring at 3 mug/ml heparin. This inhibition could be prevented by protamine sulphate.4 Heparin did not affect PGE(1)-stimulated cyclic AMP production in intact platelets either in vitro or in platelets taken during the infusion of 5,000iu heparin over 2h to 2 normal volunteers. Similarly, preincubation of platelets with heparin for up to 3h at 37 degrees C did not affect platelet adenylate cyclase.5 The effects of heparin were very similar to those of fluoride on the platelet adenylate cyclase: heparin and fluoride increased basal enzyme activity slightly (3-4 fold) but their effects were not additive; both inhibited the response to PGE(1) by approximately 50% when added directly to the assay and the inhibitory effects of the two were not additive; preincubation of membranes with either heparin or fluoride produced an irreversible state of inhibition.6 As heparin inhibits PGE(1)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity only in broken platelets, we suggest that the aggregatory effects of heparin are probably independent of any action on cyclic AMP production.

Investigation of the usefulness of the plasma adenosine 3' 5' - cyclic monophosphate response to glucagon in thyroid disease.

The plasma adenosine 3', 5' - cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) response to 50 micrograms of intravenous glucagon was examined in 14 normal euthyroid subjects, 15 patients with thyrotoxicosis and 5 patients with myxedema. The cyclic AMP responses to 50 micrograms of intravenous glucagon was significantly higher in the hyperthyroid group than in the euthyroid or hypothyroid group. However, the areas of overlap between all three groups were large and there was little relationship between the plasma cyclic AMP response to glucagon and the biochemical assessment of thyroid function. Serial studies of the response to 50 micrograms glucagon were carried out in four patients receiving treatment for thyrotoxicosis. Again, there was not consistent relationship between the plasma cyclic AMP responsiveness to glucagon and the free thyroxine index. It is concluded that although the plasma cyclic AMP response to glucagon is increased in thyrotoxicosis and decreased in myxedema, the variability of this response in thyroid disease precludes its use as a tissue index of thyroid hormone responsiveness.

Properties of a factor in cytosol that enhances hormones-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity.

1. The addition of 50 000g cytosol preparations of isolated human platelets, cultured rat osteogenic sarcoma or cultured bone cells to particulate preparations of adenylate cyclase, from the same or unrelated tissues, caused marked enhancement of the hormone-stimulated enzyme activities. 2. The degree of enhancement obtained by addition of the cytosol preparations was similar to that observed on addition of GTP. 3. The enhancing activity of the three cytosol types was found to be sensitive to digestion by trypsin and alkaline phosphatase, partially heat-labile and partially inactivated by exposure to charcoal. 4. Gel filtration studies indicated an apparent molecular weight of 20 000--30 000. Further, the 20000-30000-mol.wt. fractions obtained by gel filtration could enhance the adenylate cyclase activity of particulate preparations derived from unrelated cell types. 5. The results suggest a common or similar adenylate-cyclase-enhancing factor or factors, protein in nature, present in the three cytosol types.

Stimulation of hormone-responsive adenylate cyclase activity by a factor present in the cell cytosol.

1. Homogenates of whole tissues were shown to contain both intracellular and extracellular factors that affected particulate adenylate cyclase activity in vitro. Factors present in the extracellular fluids produced an inhibition of basal, hormone- and fluoride-stimulated enzyme activity but factors present in the cell cytosol increased hormone-stimulated activity with relatively little effect on basal or fluoride-stimulated enzyme activity. 2. The existence of this cytosol factor or factors was investigated using freshly isolated human platelets, freshly isolated rat hepatocytes, and cultured cells derived from rat osteogenic sarcoma, rat calvaria, mouse melanoma, pig aortic endothelium, human articular cartilage chondrocytes and human bronchial carcinoma (BEN) cells. 3. The stimulation of the hormone response by the cytosol factor ranged from 60 to 890% depending on the tissue of origin of the adenylate cyclase. 4. In each case the behaviour of the factor was similar to the action of GTP on that particular adenylate cyclase preparation. 5. No evidence of tissue or species specificity was found, as cytosols stimulated adenylate cyclase from their own and unrelated tissues to the same degree. 6. In the human platelet, the inclusion of the cytosol in the assay of adenylate cyclase increased the rate of enzyme activity in response to stimulation by prostaglandin E1 without affecting the amount of prostaglandin E1 required for half-maximal stimulation or the characteristics of enzyme activation by prostaglandin E.