The tyrosine phosphatase CD148 is an essential positive regulator of platelet activation and thrombosis

Platelets play a fundamental role in hemostasis and thrombosis. They are also involved in pathologic conditions resulting from blocked blood vessels, including myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Platelet adhesion, activation, and aggregation at sites of vascular injury are regulated by a diverse repertoire of tyrosine kinase–linked and G protein–coupled receptors. Src family kinases (SFKs) play a central role in initiating and propagating signaling from several platelet surface receptors; however, the underlying mechanism of how SFK activity is regulated in platelets remains unclear. CD148 is the only receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase identified in platelets to date. In the present study, we show that mutant mice lacking CD148 exhibited a bleeding tendency and defective arterial thrombosis. Basal SFK activity was found to be markedly reduced in CD148-deficient platelets, resulting in a global hyporesponsiveness to agonists that signal through SFKs, including collagen and fibrinogen. G protein–coupled receptor responses to thrombin and other agonists were also marginally reduced. These results highlight CD148 as a global regulator of platelet activation and a novel antithrombotic drug targe

An intra-articular salmon calcitonin-based nanocomplex reduces experimental inflammatory arthritis

Prolonged inappropriate inflammatory responses contribute to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to aspects of osteoarthritis (OA). The orphan nuclear receptor, NR4A2, is a key regulator and potential biomarker for inflammation and represents a potentially valuable therapeutic target. Both salmon calcitonin (sCT) and hyaluronic acid (HA) attenuated activated mRNA expression of NR4A1, NR4A2, NR4A3, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1, 3 and 13 in three human cell lines: SW1353 chondrocytes, U937 and THP-1 monocytes. Ad-mixtures of sCT and HA further down-regulated expression of NR4A2 compared to either agent alone at specific concentrations, hence the rationale for their formulation in nanocomplexes (NP) using chitosan. The sCT released from NP stimulated cAMP production in human T47D breast cancer cells expressing sCT receptors. When NP were injected by the intra-articular (I.A.) route to the mouse knee during on-going inflammatory arthritis of the K/BxN serum transfer model, joint inflammation was reduced together with NR4A2 expression, and local bone architecture was preserved. These data highlight remarkable anti-inflammatory effects of sCT and HA at the level of reducing NR4A2 mRNA expression in vitro. Combining them in NP elicits anti-arthritic effects in vivo following I. A. delivery.SRC 07/B1154Author has checked copyrightAM

Pharmacological characterisation of the adenosine receptor mediating increased ion transport in the mouse isolated trachea and the effect of allergen challenge

1. The effect of adenosine on transepithelial ion transport was investigated in isolated preparations of murine trachea mounted in Ussing chambers. The possible regulation of adenosine receptors in an established model of allergic airway inflammation was also investigated. 2. Mucosally applied adenosine caused increases in short-circuit current (I(SC)) that corresponded to approximately 50% of the response to the most efficacious secretogogue, ATP (ΔI(SC) 69.5±6.7 μA cm(2)). In contrast, submucosally applied adenosine caused only small (<20%) increases in I(SC), which were not investigated further. 3. The A(1)-selective (N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine, CPA, 1 nM–10 μM), A(2A)-selective (2-p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino-5′-N-ethylcarboxoamido adenosine; CGS 21680; 0.1–100 μM) and A(3)-selective (1-deoxy-1-[6-[[(3-iodophenyl)-methyl]amino]-9H-purin-9-yl]-N-methyl-β-D-ribofuranuronamide; IB-MECA; 30 nM–100 μM) adenosine receptor agonists were either equipotent or less potent than adenosine, suggesting that these receptors do not mediate the response to adenosine. 4. The A(1) receptor selective antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX; 10 nM–1 μM) caused a rightward shift of the adenosine concentration–effect curve only at 1 μM. The mixed A(2A)/A(2B) receptor antagonist 4-(2-[7-amino-2-(2-furyl)[1,2,4]triazolo[2,3-a][1,3,5]triazin-5-ylamino]ethyl)phenol (ZM 241385) also caused rightward shift of the adenosine concentration–effect curve, again only at micromolar concentrations, suggestive of the involvement of A(2B) receptors. 5. In preparations from animals sensitised to ovalbumin and challenged over 3 days with aerosol ovalbumin, a decrease in baseline I(SC) was observed and responses to ATP were diminished. Similarly, the amplitude of responses to adenosine were attenuated although there was no change in potency. 6. These results suggest that the A(2B) receptor mediates the I(SC) response to adenosine in the mouse trachea. This receptor does not appear to be regulated in a standard asthma model