Da. Gabriel et al., ELECTROPHORETIC LIGHT-SCATTERING-STUDIES ON THE INTERACTION OF FIBRINOGEN WITH RESTING AND ACTIVATED HUMAN PLATELETS, Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis, 4(3), 1993, pp. 397-403
The interaction of the platelet surface with agonist or adhesive molec
ules can modify the platelet surface charge and thus its electrophoret
ic mobility. Electrophoretic quasi elastic light scattering (ELS) is a
technique that permits the rapid and accurate determination of electr
ophoretic mobility of platelets. ELS was used to study changes in the
platelet electrophoretic mobility induced by platelet activation and b
y fibrinogen binding. The platelet electrophoretic mobility decreases
from - 2 (mu-cm)/(V-s) to - 0.5 (mu-cm)/(V-s) when the platelet is act
ivated with either 1 muM ADP, 10 muM epinephrine or 0.5 NIH U/ml alpha
-thrombin. Aspirin inhibits the ADP induced platelet activation and su
rface charge reduction. Thrombin overcomes the aspirin inhibition indi
cation that the platelet surface charge reduction is associated with p
latelet activation. The magnitude of the decrease in the platelet elec
trophoretic mobility varies with the platelet donor and the extent of
platelet activation. Platelet activation enhances the fibrinogen induc
ed surface charge reduction, which is consistent with fibrinogen bindi
ng. Thus, ELS is shown to be a sensitive means to directly assess plat
elet activation and ligand binding.