Involvement of Nitric Oxide on Calcium Mobilization and Arachidonic Acid Pathway Activation during Platelet Aggregation with different aggregating agonists

Platelet aggregation by different aggregating agonists is essential in the normal blood coagulation process, the excess of which caused acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In all cases, the activation of arachidonic acid by cycloxygenase was needed for the synthesis of thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)) but the mechanism of arachidonic acid release in platelets remains obscure. Studies were conducted to determine the role of nitric oxide (NO), if any, on the release of arachidonic acid in platelets. The cytosolic Ca(2+) was visualized and quantitated by fluorescent spectroscopy by using QUIN-2. NO was measured by methemoglobin method. Arachidonic acid was determined by HPLC. TXA(2) was measured as ThromboxaneB(2) (TXB(2)) by ELISA. Treatment of platelets in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with different aggregating agents resulted in the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) which inhibited the production of NO synthesis and increased TXA(2) synthesis. Furthermore, the treatment of washed PRP with different platelet aggregating agents resulted in the increase of [Ca(2+)] in nM ranges. In contrast, the pre-treatment of washed PRP with aspirin increased platelet NO level and inhibited the Ca(2+) mobilization and TXA(2) synthesis. These results indicated that the aggregation of platelets by different aggregating agonists was caused by the cytosolic Ca(2+) mobilization due to the inhibition of NOS.